Enlightening health professionals’ predisposition toward green prescriptions in Italy

Background: Knowledge about and importance attributed to prescribing activities in natural settings for therapeutic purposes (green prescriptions, GRx) by health professionals (HPs) have increased in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maurizio Droli, Elisa Cargnelutti, Stefano Qualizza, Vincenzo Canzonieri, Sonia De Simon, Camilla Costa, Eleonora Droli, Fabio G. Vassallo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academia.edu Journals 2024-10-01
Series:Academia Mental Health & Well-Being
Online Access:https://www.academia.edu/124915855/Enlightening_health_professionals_predisposition_toward_green_prescriptions_in_Italy
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Summary:Background: Knowledge about and importance attributed to prescribing activities in natural settings for therapeutic purposes (green prescriptions, GRx) by health professionals (HPs) have increased in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore whether they varied according to different demographic and space-related variables of HPs operating in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Methods: We developed a structured questionnaire and analyzed the responses provided by 159 HPs. We computed the perceived importance (“valuability”, see the resource-based theory) of nature-inspired activities and their statistical concentration; then, we conducted bivariate correlation analyses between the item scores and between-group comparisons between HPs’ subgroups defined by demographic and space-related variables. Descriptive statistics illustrated the response frequency concerning the places mainly recommend for GRx. Results: A positive relationship linked valuability of nature-inspired activities for GRx and the statistical concentration of those judgments. Correlation analyses revealed moderate to strong significant correlations between the item scores. Between-group comparisons showed that female (versus male) HPs attributed greater health-related potential to nature, as generally did HPs in the youngest (25–34) age range. Space-related variables played a role, too: HPs living in small towns reckoned that nature could provide health-related benefits more than did the HPs living in bigger towns. Forests were the natural places with the greatest attributed healing potential. Conclusions: We commented these findings in relation to the extant literature, proposed a theoretically rooted definition of GRx, and stressed the importance of promoting knowledge and GRx prescription, both for the benefit of patients and the whole healthcare system.
ISSN:2997-9196