Effects of indoor daylight control on middle school students
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN15982336 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15982336 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | 415-E/1857/2-2015 |
| Sponsor | Paracelsus Medical University |
| Funder | Salzburg state (funding scheme: Trans4Tech) |
- Submission date
- 15/06/2020
- Registration date
- 28/07/2020
- Last edited
- 28/07/2020
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Natural light is changing in intensity and spectrum during the day. Experiencing it is a crucial factor, influencing the circadian rhythm cognitive performance, concentration and daytime sleepiness. This is also true for students. Intelligent shading systems can improve the indoor daylight supply. This controlled, single-blinded longitudinal intervention study investigated the effects of a new shading system on cognitive performance, stress and wellbeing in healthy middle school students.
What does the study involve?
New shading systems will be installed in four classrooms of the middle school of Adnet (Salzburg, Austria). In two classrooms conventional shading systems will be installed (control-condition). The other two classrooms will be equipped with the new shading system. This new shading system leads much more daylight into the building, than conventional systems, while reflecting direct sunlight to prevent the building from overheating. During the intervention period, all children will live at home, maintaining their usual lifestyle. Participating students will be asked to perform a concentration test, to fill out some questionnaires and salivary samples will be collected.
Who can participate?
Only students from the 7th and 8th grade of the middle school of Adnet, Salzburg, Austria can participate in this study.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
No risks are expected.
Where is the study run from?
The Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg (Austria)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2015 to June 2016
Who is funding the study?
This project is funded by Salzburg state (funding scheme: Trans4Tech)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Arnulf Hartl
Contact information
Scientific
Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg
Institute of Ecomedicine
Salzburg
5020
Austria
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-9626-6425 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +43 (0)662 2420 80530 |
| arnulf.hartl@pmu.ac.at |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Controlled single-blinded longitudinal intervention study with two intervention groups and constructive implementation |
| Secondary study design | Controlled intervention study with constructive implementation |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Physiological and psychological effects of indoor daylight control on middle school students |
| Study acronym | Trans4Light |
| Study objectives | Primary Hypothesis: An increased indoor daylight supply improves cognitive performance, quality of life and stress in middle school students. Secondary Hypothesis: An increased indoor daylight supply in classrooms reduces power consumption. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 16/03/2015, Ethics Committee of Salzburg (Stefan-Stief-Gasse 2, Postfach 527, 5010 Salzburg, Austria; +43 (0)662 8042 0; ethikkommission@salzburg.gv.at), ref: 415-E/1857/2-2015 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Cognitive performance, quality of life and stress in middle school students |
| Intervention | New shading systems were installed in four identical classrooms in the selected middle school. These shading blades prevent the building from overheating in summer months. Common blades (schlotterer 80R) were installed in two classrooms, while two classrooms were equipped with shading blades in a special design (schlotterer RETROLux 80D), which enables them to reflect more daylight into the rooms. All students, parents and teachers were blinded. The RETROLux 80D blades block direct sunlight in summer, while reflecting more non-direct daylight than conventional shading systems. The participating students spent on average 5 days per week and 5-8 h per day in their classrooms. During the intervention, all children lived at home, maintaining their usual lifestyle. One class of each grade was randomly assigned to the special shading system. The intervention time was 3 semesters (~1.5 years). During the intervention time of 1.5 years, data was collected at five timepoints: T1 = baseline, March 20; T2 = June 2015; T3 = November 2015; T4 = March 2016; T5 = June 2016. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Salivary cortisol (as a biomarker for stress) measured by ELISA at T2-T5 |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Attention and concentration assessed using the d2-Revision (d2-R) test at T1-T5 |
| Completion date | 23/06/2016 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 12 Years |
| Upper age limit | 15 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 100 |
| Total final enrolment | 85 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Students of the 7th and 8th grade of the Middle School of Adnet (aged 12-15) |
| Key exclusion criteria | Students of the 5th and 6th grade of the Middle School of Adnet |
| Date of first enrolment | 17/03/2015 |
| Date of final enrolment | 17/04/2015 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Austria
Study participating centre
Strubergasse 22
Salzburg
5020
Austria
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan | Data can be requested from Arnulf Josef Hartl (arnulf.hartl@pmu.ac.at). Data will be available as an Excel sheet and will be shared by email. The data is fully anonymised by 4-digit ID. Consent from participants was obtained to use their data for scientific purposes only. Data will be only accessible for scientific research (e.g. power calculations, meta-analysis). |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
22/06/2020: Trial's existence confirmed by Ethikkommission für das Bundesland Salzburg [Salzburg state ethics committee].
