About the study

Research Project Base:

Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. 

Responsible Researcher: A/Prof Isabel Krug,

Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology 

(Isabel.krug@unimelb.edu.au)

Additional Researchers:

Dr Vanja Rozenblat (Lecturer); Mariam Mian (Honours Student); Manahil Gillani (Honours Student); Won Ying Qing (PhD Student); Prof. Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz (Professor); Dr Trevor Steward (Senior Research Fellow); Quynh Anh Nguyen (Master’s Student); Musa Jemal Negash (PhD Student); Ruihua Nie (Undergraduate Student); Juliana Santiago (Undergraduate Student); Nancy Huang (Undergraduate Student).

Project Title: Body in Nature in Daily Life 

About the Study:

This study investigates the relationship between exposure to nature, stress, emotion regulation, body image and eating behaviours. The study includes individuals aged 18 years or over, currently experiencing binge eating episodes, who have access to an iPhone with iOS 8 or above, and do not have any conditions that could affect their heart functioning. 

What you will be asked to do

There are multiple parts to this study. If you agree to participate, you will fill in a brief pre-screening survey (approx. 5 min) and participate in a screening interview (approx. 45 min) via phone or Zoom call.

Should you meet the eligibility criteria, you will take part in two study phases:

• Phase 1: You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire (approx. 20 min) and cognitive tasks (approx. 40 min), on two secure websites. 

• You will attend a research appointment at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences for an induction into Phase 2.

• Phase 2: You will then be asked to complete 6 brief surveys (approx. 2 min each) per day about the environment you have been in, and your feelings related to your body and eating behaviours using the SEMA3 App. You will also wear a smartwatch throughout this 7-day period that will record your health data, such as heart rate. 

• After Phase 2, you will attend another research appointment to return the smartwatch and receive reimbursement.

What are the possible benefits? 

The information gathered from this research will contribute to the literature on the effects of nature on eating patterns and body image. The data collected from this study will serve as part of the students’ Honours and PhD projects listed on this application. Once you have completed all two parts of the experiment you are entitled to up to $80 gift voucher. 

What are the possible risks? 

If at any stage you feel uncomfortable with any of the questions asked or topics covered, you are free to withdraw. If you need to talk to someone while you are participating in the study, LifeLine (Ph: 13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (Ph: 1300 22 4636) are in place to help you. LifeLine and Beyond Blue are Australian-based 24-hour national counselling services. If there is imminent danger or an emergency, please contact 000. 

Participation:

Participation is completely voluntary. You are free to withdraw at any time and to withdraw any unprocessed data previously supplied. 

Personal data:

All information you provide will remain strictly confidential, subject to legal limitations and mandatory reporting requirements. 

Where can I get further information? 

If you would like more information about the project, please contact the responsible researcher; A/Prof. Isabel Krug; Email: Isabel.krug@unimelb.edu.au.