ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2024
Evaluating the feasibility of "Friends in Nature," a complex nature-based social intervention to address loneliness and quality of life in six cities worldwide.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Testing the Effectiveness of a Nature-based Social Intervention on Loneliness Among Lonely Adults in Barcelona - a Randomized Controlled Trial
RECETAS (Re-Imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces) in Helsinki
Testing the Effectiveness of a Nature-based Social Intervention on Loneliness Among Lonely Adults in Prague - a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluating the social return on investment of nature-based social prescribing to alleviate loneliness: a randomized controlled trial in Barcelona.Frontiers in public health · 2026Trial
- Beyond clinical risk: tackling loneliness through a population health lens.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLoneliness, a major public health concern, could be alleviated through social interventions with nature contact as a primary component. "Friends in Nature" is a complex nature-based social intervention designed to be implemented as part of "Reimagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces" (RECETAS). This project aims to alleviate loneliness and promote health-related quality of life in six different geographic areas worldwide. Feasibility studies are crucial to assess the viability of complex interventions and study procedures before conducting definitive studies. This paper aims to describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of the six-related feasibility studies on the "Friends in Nature" intervention. These studies specifically evaluate feasibility of recruitment and study procedures, intervention implementation, and data collection and distribution.
methodsWe defined a comprehensive set of indicators to assess the feasibility of "Friends in Nature." For the first domain, recruitment procedures were assessed to determine their adequacy, while attrition rates were examined to assess participant retention. For the second domain, the implementation of interventions was evaluated, along with the study design's ability to adapt to unexpected situations and participant adherence to the intervention. Finally, for the third domain, completion rates and the acceptability of the study activities were also analyzed. The feasibility of using specific scales to assess loneliness and well-being was also explored.
resultsThe feasibility indicators defined for this study were useful to assess the feasibility of "Friends in Nature." Recruitment procedures were generally found to be adequate, and the number of dropouts was low. Interventions were implemented with minor adjustments, and facilitators played a vital role in the well-functioning of the interventions. Although some unexpected situations occurred during the study, adaptations were made, and participants were generally satisfied with the activities proposed. Scales used to assess loneliness and quality of life showed potential for measuring the effects of nature-based social prescribing in the full trial.
conclusionThis paper offers valuable insights into the design and execution of feasibility studies for complex interventions like "Friends in Nature." Findings from these assessments explore the feasibility of "Friends in Nature" and will inform the main RECETAS studies, which are designed to strengthen the evidence base to support the use of nature-based social prescribing to reduce loneliness and promote quality of life.
trial registrationBarcelona trial: NCT05488496, Prague trial: NCT05522140, and Helsinki trial: NCT05507684.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.