“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal

Andreia Costa; Joana Henriques; Violeta Alarcão; Teresa Madeira; Ana Virgolino; Marie J. Polley; Adriana Henriques; Rodrigo Feteira-Santos; Miguel Arriaga; Paulo Nogueira

doi:10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w

“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal

Andreia Costa^*
, Joana Henriques
, Violeta Alarcão
, Teresa Madeira
, Ana Virgolino
, Marie J. Polley
, Adriana Henriques
, Rodrigo Feteira-Santos
, Miguel Arriaga
, Paulo Nogueira

^*Autor correspondente para este trabalho

Resultado de pesquisa › revisão de pares

1 Citação (Scopus)

14 Transferências (Pure)

Resumo

Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a non-clinical approach, most commonly based in healthcare units, that aims to address non-medical health-related social needs by connecting individuals with community-based services. This qualitative study explores the perception of Portuguese older adults regarding the benefits of SP and their willingness to participate in SP initiatives. Methods: Three face-to-face focus group sessions were conducted with 23 participants in different cities in Portugal. Open and semi-open questions were used to guide the discussions and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants recognized the potential benefits of SP for older adults, including diversifying leisure activities, improving mental health, and complementing existing support systems. They highlighted the need for external support, usually in the form of link workers, to facilitate personalized referrals and consider individual characteristics and preferences. While some participants expressed reluctance to engage in SP due to their existing busy schedules and a perceived sense of imposition, others showed openness to having new experiences and recognized the potential value of SP in promoting activity. Barriers to participation, including resistance to change, mobility issues, and family responsibilities, were identified. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of a person-centered and co-designed approach to SP, involving older adults in the planning and implementation of interventions. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of SP programs tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of older adults in Portugal, ultimately promoting active and healthy aging. Future research should consider the perspectives of family doctors and include a broader representation of older adults from diverse geographic areas.

Idioma original	English
Número do artigo	645
Número de páginas	9
Revista	BMC Health Services Research
Volume	24
Número de emissão	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w
Estado da publicação	Publicado - 1 dez. 2024

ODS da ONU

Este resultado contribui para o(s) seguinte(s) Objetivo(s) de Desenvolvimento Sustentável

ODS 16 Paz, justiça e instituições fortes

Acesso ao documento

10.1186/s12913-024-11086-wLicença:

99403460Final published version, 1,14 MBLicença:

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/45558Licença:

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Mergulhe nos tópicos de investigação de ““You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal“. Em conjunto formam uma impressão digital única.

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing
Almeida, L. (Investigador), André, G. (Investigador), Arriaga, M. (Investigador), Benavente, R. (Investigador), Benvinda, M. S. (Investigador), Bolinhas, I. (Investigador), Branco, F. (Investigador), Brito, R. (Investigador), Carmo, B. (Investigador), Carvalho, A. (Investigador), Carvalhosa, S. F. (Investigador), Cláudio, A. P. (Investigador), Costa, P. (Investigador), Deus, P. N. D. (Investigador), Dias, P. (Investigador), Diogo, E. (Investigador), Esteves, F. (Investigador), Faria, A. R. (Investigador), Farias, A. R. (Investigador), Fialho, J. (Investigador), Francisco, R. (Investigador), Gaspar, A. (Investigador), Gaspar, R. (Investigador), Godinho, C. (Investigador), Godinho, P. (Investigador), Gonçalves, J. (Investigador), Guerra, I. (Investigador), Jesus, A. P. (Investigador), Lagarto, J. R. (Investigador), Maruta, C. (Investigador), Melo, R. (Investigador), Monteiro, D. (Investigador), Nazaré, B. (Investigador), Negrão, M. (Investigador), Nogueira, S. I. (Investigador), Oliveira, A. (Investigador), Paiva, M. T. (Investigador), Pedro, M. (Investigador), Pinto, H. R. (Investigador), Pinto, J. C. (Investigador), Prioste, A. (Investigador), Ramalho, S. C. (Investigador), Reis, C. (Investigador), Sacur, B. M. (Investigador), Santos, R. P. D. (Investigador), Silva, A. J. (Investigador), Silva, C. V. D. (Investigador), Simão, C. (Investigador), Teixeira, P. (Investigador) & Veiga, E. (Investigador)
1/01/19 → 31/12/25
Projeto

Citação

Costa, A., Henriques, J., Alarcão, V., Madeira, T., Virgolino, A., Polley, M. J., Henriques, A., Feteira-Santos, R., Arriaga, M., & Nogueira, P. (2024). “You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), Artigo 645. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w

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title = "“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that{\textquoteright}s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people{\textquoteright}s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal",

abstract = "Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a non-clinical approach, most commonly based in healthcare units, that aims to address non-medical health-related social needs by connecting individuals with community-based services. This qualitative study explores the perception of Portuguese older adults regarding the benefits of SP and their willingness to participate in SP initiatives. Methods: Three face-to-face focus group sessions were conducted with 23 participants in different cities in Portugal. Open and semi-open questions were used to guide the discussions and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants recognized the potential benefits of SP for older adults, including diversifying leisure activities, improving mental health, and complementing existing support systems. They highlighted the need for external support, usually in the form of link workers, to facilitate personalized referrals and consider individual characteristics and preferences. While some participants expressed reluctance to engage in SP due to their existing busy schedules and a perceived sense of imposition, others showed openness to having new experiences and recognized the potential value of SP in promoting activity. Barriers to participation, including resistance to change, mobility issues, and family responsibilities, were identified. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of a person-centered and co-designed approach to SP, involving older adults in the planning and implementation of interventions. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of SP programs tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of older adults in Portugal, ultimately promoting active and healthy aging. Future research should consider the perspectives of family doctors and include a broader representation of older adults from diverse geographic areas.",

keywords = "Active and healthy aging, Community participation, Focus groups, Older adults, Qualitative research",

author = "Andreia Costa and Joana Henriques and Violeta Alarc{\~a}o and Teresa Madeira and Ana Virgolino and Polley, \{Marie J.\} and Adriana Henriques and Rodrigo Feteira-Santos and Miguel Arriaga and Paulo Nogueira",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w",

language = "English",

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Costa, A, Henriques, J, Alarcão, V, Madeira, T, Virgolino, A, Polley, MJ, Henriques, A, Feteira-Santos, R, Arriaga, M & Nogueira, P 2024, '“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 24, n.º 1, 645. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - “You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal

AU - Costa, Andreia

AU - Henriques, Joana

AU - Alarcão, Violeta

AU - Madeira, Teresa

AU - Virgolino, Ana

AU - Polley, Marie J.

AU - Henriques, Adriana

AU - Feteira-Santos, Rodrigo

AU - Arriaga, Miguel

AU - Nogueira, Paulo

PY - 2024/12/1

Y1 - 2024/12/1

N2 - Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a non-clinical approach, most commonly based in healthcare units, that aims to address non-medical health-related social needs by connecting individuals with community-based services. This qualitative study explores the perception of Portuguese older adults regarding the benefits of SP and their willingness to participate in SP initiatives. Methods: Three face-to-face focus group sessions were conducted with 23 participants in different cities in Portugal. Open and semi-open questions were used to guide the discussions and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants recognized the potential benefits of SP for older adults, including diversifying leisure activities, improving mental health, and complementing existing support systems. They highlighted the need for external support, usually in the form of link workers, to facilitate personalized referrals and consider individual characteristics and preferences. While some participants expressed reluctance to engage in SP due to their existing busy schedules and a perceived sense of imposition, others showed openness to having new experiences and recognized the potential value of SP in promoting activity. Barriers to participation, including resistance to change, mobility issues, and family responsibilities, were identified. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of a person-centered and co-designed approach to SP, involving older adults in the planning and implementation of interventions. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of SP programs tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of older adults in Portugal, ultimately promoting active and healthy aging. Future research should consider the perspectives of family doctors and include a broader representation of older adults from diverse geographic areas.

AB - Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a non-clinical approach, most commonly based in healthcare units, that aims to address non-medical health-related social needs by connecting individuals with community-based services. This qualitative study explores the perception of Portuguese older adults regarding the benefits of SP and their willingness to participate in SP initiatives. Methods: Three face-to-face focus group sessions were conducted with 23 participants in different cities in Portugal. Open and semi-open questions were used to guide the discussions and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants recognized the potential benefits of SP for older adults, including diversifying leisure activities, improving mental health, and complementing existing support systems. They highlighted the need for external support, usually in the form of link workers, to facilitate personalized referrals and consider individual characteristics and preferences. While some participants expressed reluctance to engage in SP due to their existing busy schedules and a perceived sense of imposition, others showed openness to having new experiences and recognized the potential value of SP in promoting activity. Barriers to participation, including resistance to change, mobility issues, and family responsibilities, were identified. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of a person-centered and co-designed approach to SP, involving older adults in the planning and implementation of interventions. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of SP programs tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of older adults in Portugal, ultimately promoting active and healthy aging. Future research should consider the perspectives of family doctors and include a broader representation of older adults from diverse geographic areas.

KW - Active and healthy aging

KW - Community participation

KW - Focus groups

KW - Older adults

KW - Qualitative research

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85193843038

U2 - 10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w

DO - 10.1186/s12913-024-11086-w

M3 - Article

C2 - 38769571

AN - SCOPUS:85193843038

SN - 1472-6963

VL - 24

JO - BMC Health Services Research

JF - BMC Health Services Research

IS - 1

M1 - 645

ER -

“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh… and that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal

Resumo

ODS da ONU

Acesso ao documento

Outros arquivos e links

Impressão digital

Projetos

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing

Citação