Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review

Julius Cesar Alejandre; Sebastien Chastin; Katherine N. Irvine; Michail Georgiou; Preeti Khanna; Zoe Tieges; Niamh Smith; Yong-Yee Chong; Frances Claire Onagan; Lesley Price; Sharon Pfleger; Rachel Helliwell; Judith Singleton; Samuel Curran; Allan Estandarte; Emily Sophia Smith; Karin Helwig

doi:10.1155/2023/6551521

Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review

Julius Cesar Alejandre^*, Sebastien Chastin, Katherine N. Irvine, Michail Georgiou, Preeti Khanna, Zoe Tieges, Niamh Smith, Yong-Yee Chong, Frances Claire Onagan, Lesley Price, Sharon Pfleger, Rachel Helliwell, Judith Singleton, Samuel Curran, Allan Estandarte, Emily Sophia Smith, Karin Helwig

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

94 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Nature-based social prescribing such as “blue prescription” promotes public health and health improvement of individuals with long-term health conditions. However, there is limited evidence explaining the relationship of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of implementing blue prescription programmes (BPPs) in health and social care settings that could inform policy and practice. We conducted a systematic realist review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Scopus, MEDLINE, and CINAHL for articles published in English between January 2000 and June 2022 about health and social care professionals providing referral to or prescription of blue space activities (e.g., swimming, fishing, surfing, etc.) with health-related outcomes. Components and descriptions of BPP implementation were extracted and used to develop themes of contextual factors used to develop programme theories and a logic model demonstrating the mechanisms of BPP implementation. Sixteen studies with adequate to strong quality were included from 8,619 records. After participating in BPPs referred to or prescribed by health and social care professionals, service users had improvements in their physical, cognitive (mental), social health, and proenvironmental knowledge. Service user-related contextual factors were referral information, free equipment, transportation, social support, blue space environments, and skills of service providers. Programme-related contextual factors were communication, multistakeholder collaboration, financing, and adequate service providers. Programme theories on service user enrolment, engagement, adherence, communication protocols, and programme sustainability explain the mechanisms of BPP implementation. BPPs could promote health and wellbeing if contextual factors and programme theories associated with service users’ characteristics and programme delivery are considered in the design, delivery, and evaluation of BPPs. Our study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020170660).

Original language	English
Article number	6551521
Number of pages	24
Journal	Health and Social Care in the Community
Volume	2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6551521
Publication status	Published - 5 Apr 2023

Keywords

blue prescription programmes
nature-based social prescribing
sustainable healthcare
planetary health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science
General Health Professions
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics(all)
General Medicine
General Psychology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Documents and Links

10.1155/2023/6551521

Alejandre, J.C. et al (2023) Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review
Copyright © 2023 Julius Cesar Alejandre et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Final published version, 637 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Alejandre, J. C., Chastin, S., Irvine, K. N., Georgiou, M., Khanna, P., Tieges, Z., Smith, N., Chong, Y.-Y., Onagan, F. C., Price, L., Pfleger, S., Helliwell, R., Singleton, J., Curran, S., Estandarte, A., Smith, E. S., & Helwig, K. (2023). Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2023, Article 6551521. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6551521

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abstract = "Nature-based social prescribing such as “blue prescription” promotes public health and health improvement of individuals with long-term health conditions. However, there is limited evidence explaining the relationship of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of implementing blue prescription programmes (BPPs) in health and social care settings that could inform policy and practice. We conducted a systematic realist review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Scopus, MEDLINE, and CINAHL for articles published in English between January 2000 and June 2022 about health and social care professionals providing referral to or prescription of blue space activities (e.g., swimming, fishing, surfing, etc.) with health-related outcomes. Components and descriptions of BPP implementation were extracted and used to develop themes of contextual factors used to develop programme theories and a logic model demonstrating the mechanisms of BPP implementation. Sixteen studies with adequate to strong quality were included from 8,619 records. After participating in BPPs referred to or prescribed by health and social care professionals, service users had improvements in their physical, cognitive (mental), social health, and proenvironmental knowledge. Service user-related contextual factors were referral information, free equipment, transportation, social support, blue space environments, and skills of service providers. Programme-related contextual factors were communication, multistakeholder collaboration, financing, and adequate service providers. Programme theories on service user enrolment, engagement, adherence, communication protocols, and programme sustainability explain the mechanisms of BPP implementation. BPPs could promote health and wellbeing if contextual factors and programme theories associated with service users{\textquoteright} characteristics and programme delivery are considered in the design, delivery, and evaluation of BPPs. Our study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020170660).",

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Alejandre, JC, Chastin, S, Irvine, KN, Georgiou, M, Khanna, P, Tieges, Z , Smith, N, Chong, Y-Y, Onagan, FC, Price, L, Pfleger, S, Helliwell, R, Singleton, J, Curran, S, Estandarte, A, Smith, ES & Helwig, K 2023, 'Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review', Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 2023, 6551521. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6551521

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T1 - Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review

AU - Alejandre, Julius Cesar

AU - Chastin, Sebastien

AU - Irvine, Katherine N.

AU - Georgiou, Michail

AU - Khanna, Preeti

AU - Tieges, Zoe

AU - Smith, Niamh

AU - Chong, Yong-Yee

AU - Onagan, Frances Claire

AU - Price, Lesley

AU - Pfleger, Sharon

AU - Helliwell, Rachel

AU - Singleton, Judith

AU - Curran, Samuel

AU - Estandarte, Allan

AU - Smith, Emily Sophia

AU - Helwig, Karin

PY - 2023/4/5

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N2 - Nature-based social prescribing such as “blue prescription” promotes public health and health improvement of individuals with long-term health conditions. However, there is limited evidence explaining the relationship of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of implementing blue prescription programmes (BPPs) in health and social care settings that could inform policy and practice. We conducted a systematic realist review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Scopus, MEDLINE, and CINAHL for articles published in English between January 2000 and June 2022 about health and social care professionals providing referral to or prescription of blue space activities (e.g., swimming, fishing, surfing, etc.) with health-related outcomes. Components and descriptions of BPP implementation were extracted and used to develop themes of contextual factors used to develop programme theories and a logic model demonstrating the mechanisms of BPP implementation. Sixteen studies with adequate to strong quality were included from 8,619 records. After participating in BPPs referred to or prescribed by health and social care professionals, service users had improvements in their physical, cognitive (mental), social health, and proenvironmental knowledge. Service user-related contextual factors were referral information, free equipment, transportation, social support, blue space environments, and skills of service providers. Programme-related contextual factors were communication, multistakeholder collaboration, financing, and adequate service providers. Programme theories on service user enrolment, engagement, adherence, communication protocols, and programme sustainability explain the mechanisms of BPP implementation. BPPs could promote health and wellbeing if contextual factors and programme theories associated with service users’ characteristics and programme delivery are considered in the design, delivery, and evaluation of BPPs. Our study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020170660).

AB - Nature-based social prescribing such as “blue prescription” promotes public health and health improvement of individuals with long-term health conditions. However, there is limited evidence explaining the relationship of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of implementing blue prescription programmes (BPPs) in health and social care settings that could inform policy and practice. We conducted a systematic realist review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Scopus, MEDLINE, and CINAHL for articles published in English between January 2000 and June 2022 about health and social care professionals providing referral to or prescription of blue space activities (e.g., swimming, fishing, surfing, etc.) with health-related outcomes. Components and descriptions of BPP implementation were extracted and used to develop themes of contextual factors used to develop programme theories and a logic model demonstrating the mechanisms of BPP implementation. Sixteen studies with adequate to strong quality were included from 8,619 records. After participating in BPPs referred to or prescribed by health and social care professionals, service users had improvements in their physical, cognitive (mental), social health, and proenvironmental knowledge. Service user-related contextual factors were referral information, free equipment, transportation, social support, blue space environments, and skills of service providers. Programme-related contextual factors were communication, multistakeholder collaboration, financing, and adequate service providers. Programme theories on service user enrolment, engagement, adherence, communication protocols, and programme sustainability explain the mechanisms of BPP implementation. BPPs could promote health and wellbeing if contextual factors and programme theories associated with service users’ characteristics and programme delivery are considered in the design, delivery, and evaluation of BPPs. Our study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020170660).

KW - blue prescription programmes

KW - nature-based social prescribing

KW - sustainable healthcare

KW - planetary health

U2 - 10.1155/2023/6551521

DO - 10.1155/2023/6551521

M3 - Review article

SN - 0966-0410

VL - 2023

JO - Health and Social Care in the Community

JF - Health and Social Care in the Community

M1 - 6551521

ER -

Contextual factors and programme theories associated with implementing blue prescription programmes: a systematic realist review

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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