Nature prescriptions are gaining popularity as a form of social prescribing in support of sustainable health care.
A new chapter for health tourism may be on the horizon
Sweden is the first country that takes the initiative and helps doctors around the world to presripe a trip to Sweden. It’s the first country promoting travel by a doctors prescription.
This presents an opportunity for the travel and tourism industry, particularly in the areas of medical and holistic tourism, specifically for destinations that focus on nature, the environment, and promote outdoor tourism.
Top 10 countries Doctors may prescribe for travel
The top 10 countries for nature tourism according to prosperity ranking may follow suit. It will be seen how health insurancea around the world take this opportunity to prescribe nature travel to prevent higher costs in treating illnesses that nature and exercise could prevent.
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
- Finland
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Luxemourg
- Iceland
- Germany
- New Zealand
Countries you should not travel for health
- South Sudan
- Yemen
- Central African Republic
- Afghanistan
- Somalia
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Eritrea
- Syria
- Sudan
This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of nature prescriptions and determine the factors necessary for their success.
Randomised and non-randomised controlled studies featuring a nature prescription, such as a referral or an organised programme, by a health or social professional, to encourage spending time in nature were included.
The Study on Nature Prescription
Compared with control conditions, nature prescription programmes resulted in a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure (mean difference –4·82 mm Hg [–8·92 to –0·72]) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference –3·82 mm Hg [–6·47 to –1·16).
Nature prescriptions also had a moderate to large effect on depression scores (post-intervention standardised mean difference –0·50 [–0·84 to –0·16]; change from baseline standardised mean difference –0·42 [–0·82 to –0·03]) and anxiety scores (post-intervention standardised mean difference –0·57 [–1·12 to –0·03]; change from baseline standardised mean difference –1·27 [–2·20 to –0·33]).
Nature prescriptions resulted in a greater increase in daily step counts than control conditions (mean difference 900 steps [790 to 1010]) but did not improve weekly time of moderate physical activity (mean difference 25·90 min [–10·26 to 62·06]).
A subgroup analysis restricted to studies featuring a referring institution showed more potent effects on depression scores, daily step counts, and weekly time of moderate physical activity than the general analysis. Beneficial effects on anxiety and depression scores were mainly provided by interventions involving social professionals, whereas beneficial effects on blood pressures and daily step counts were provided mainly by interventions involving health professionals. M
ost studies have a moderate to high risk of bias. Nature-based prescription programmes showed evidence of cardiometabolic and mental health benefits, as well as increases in walking. Effective nature prescription programmes can involve a range of natural settings and activities and can be implemented via social and community channels, in addition to health professionals.
Extensive evidence suggests that contact with nature is linked to improved social, mental, and physical well-being. These potential benefits include favourable pregnancy outcomes and improved mental health, to reduced risks of cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases in older adults. Although addressing the well-documented inequities in green spaces is warranted, enhancing the provision of green spaces will be insufficient to ensure that everyone can access and benefit from them.
Nature prescriptions share similarities with social prescribing, a new model of care that involves referring an individual to a link worker who designs a community support program based on what the individual finds intrinsically motivating (e.g., music groups, social sports, conservation, volunteering).
Why a health professional should recomment a travel prescription?
A nature prescription typically involves a health professional or social professional recommending that a patient spend a fixed amount of time a week in a natural setting, such as a park.
Nature prescriptions have emerged as a potential solution to enable and empower people to spend more time in nature, a shift that was not previously possible. Nature prescriptions are an adjunct to conventional healthcare, such as the educational and pharmaceutical treatment of non-communicable diseases. It is widely considered that the benefits of nature prescribing will extend far beyond clinical outcomes, including increased social connectedness and pro-environmental behaviors.
Large-scale nature prescription programmes have been implemented in many countries, such as a nationwide green social prescribing programme in the UK, aimed at tackling mental ill health.
