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  • Impact of social prescribing intervention on people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary healthcare context: a systematic literature review of effectiveness
    Publication . Oliveira, Dulce; Nogueira, Paulo; Costa, Andreia; Henriques , Adriana
    Aim To identify social prescribing intervention for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the context of primary healthcare and evaluate their impact on improving health, behavior, and economic outcomes. Subject and Methods Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search was conducted in SCOPUS database (MEDLINE) and via EBSCO Host (CINHAL, MEDLINE, and Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection). Review studies were included and excluded on the basis of defined criteria. A comprehensive quality appraisal was conducted by analyzing the risk of bias according to each study design. Narrative synthesis was performed by analyzing the social prescribing intervention, with the outcomes sorted into categories. Results Eleven papers were selected with 19,202 participants describing nine social prescribing intervention domains with a positive contribution to health-related outcomes (improvement in quality of life, psychological and mental well-being, physical activity, and modestly reduced HbA1c), less evidence for health-related behavior outcomes (self-care management slow growth) and less evidence for health-related economic evaluation (small decline in care costs and primary care visits). Social prescribing intervention delivery in a face-to-face mode, performed for longer periods and involving fewer professionals in the referral and accompaniment of the person, demonstrated greater effectiveness. Quality methodology evaluation revealed concerns about the low quality of some studies and a high risk of bias. Conclusion The analyzed studies suggest that social prescribing interventions can play an important role in producing related health, behavioral, and economic outcomes for people
  • Social prescribing for older adults in mainland Portugal: Perceptions and future prospects
    Publication . Costa, Andreia; Henriques, Joana; Alarcão, Violeta; Madeira, Teresa; Virgolino, Ana; Henriques , Adriana; Santos, Rodrigo Feiteira; Polley, Marie; Arriaga, Miguel; Nogueira, Paulo
    Background: In order to address health inequalities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and promote older adults' quality of life, it is necessary to explore non-medical approaches such as social prescribing. Social prescribing is a person-centered approach that allows health professionals to refer patients to services provided by the social and community sectors. This study aimed to explore older adults' perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal and to identify factors associated with these perceptions, providing insights for future implementation strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 613 older adults aged 65 to 93. Participants' sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics were assessed, along with their perceptions of social prescribing's benefits and activity interest. Results: Over 75% of respondents agreed that social prescribing would benefit the health system and their community. Most participants (87.7% and 89.7%, respectively) thought that activities like personal protection and development activities and cultural enrichment would be particularly relevant to them. Factors such as marital status, education, health status, and pain/discomfort levels influenced the perceived relevance of these activities. Conclusion: This study reveals that older adults in mainland Portugal are open to social prescribing and suggests that tailored interventions considering individual preferences and characteristics can lead to more effective implementation and equal access to social prescribing. Further research and policy efforts should focus on integrating social prescribing into the healthcare system to support healthy aging in Portugal.