Participants wanted

Hiking for science in the open-air museum

Participants in the clinical study receive a season ticket for the open-air museum.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Starting in March, researchers from Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) will be hiking on the Salzburg city mountains and in the open-air museum. Not for fun, but for science as part of a research study. Test subjects between the ages of 40 and 65 are still being sought. 

How does hiking on the city mountains or in the open-air museum affect the health of people with risk factors such as high blood pressure and obesity? This is what the scientists at the PMU led by Professor Arnold Hartl want to find out with this study. The first part of the study has already been carried out and the second round will start in March. The almost 140 participants with metabolic syndrome will be divided into two groups and scientifically monitored while hiking. "People who are overweight and have a sedentary lifestyle in particular can benefit from outdoor exercise," says Hartl.

At the same time as the study in Salzburg, similar studies are also being carried out in Barcelona and Padua: The researchers want to compare the effects of the different natural environments. And participants are still being sought for the clinical study: People between the ages of 40 and 65 who suffer from metabolic syndrome can register online at the PMU Institute of Ecomedicine. Not only is it free of charge, participants will even receive a voucher and a season ticket for the Salzburg Open Air Museum.