Nature-based social prescribing programmes: opportunities, challenges, and facilitators for implementation.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Medicine
• Social Prescribing

Background:

• Growing evidence highlights health benefits of nature exposure, extending from health promotion to treatment.
• Social prescribing connects individuals with health needs to community-based interventions.
• Nature-based social prescribing (NBSP) leverages natural environments for health and wellbeing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze opportunities, challenges, and facilitators for developing and implementing NBSP.
• To compare NBSP development in the UK and Germany, considering differing healthcare systems.
• To provide guidance for adapting NBSP interventions to diverse global contexts.

Main Methods:

• Expert group participatory workshop with 29 UK and German health and environmental practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.
• Case study analysis of NBSP in the UK and Germany.
• SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for key NBSP themes.

Main Results:

• Identified five overarching themes: Capacity Building, Accessibility and Acceptability, Networks and Collaborations, Standardised Implementation and Evaluation, and Sustainability.
• Detailed analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each theme.
• Understanding of factors supporting NBSP implementation.

Conclusions:

• NBSP holds significant potential for public health benefits by utilizing blue and green spaces.
• Guidance is provided for adapting NBSP implementation, policy support, and program design/evaluation across contexts.
• Research informs development and evaluation of NBSP for planetary health at local and global scales.