Effectiveness of a nature-based social prescribing intervention on loneliness and health-related quality of life among vulnerable urban adults (RECETAS-BCN): an observer-blinded randomised controlled trial

L Coll-Planas; M Masó-Aguado; L Briones-Buixassa; A Morató; S Mendez; A Carbó; A Fuente-Vidal; M Olivella-Cirici; C Casajuana Kögel; A Bartova; L Cattaneo; AH Jansson; A Kolster; B Novotna; N Opacin; V Papon; S Puntscher; LJ Rautiainen; U Rochau; S Blancafort-Alias; C Daher; S Bekessy; D Acurio-Páez; GE Garcia Velez; I Holmerova; K Johnson; LG Segura; U Siebert; KH Pitkälä; S Sanz; JS Litt

Journal article

Effectiveness of a nature-based social prescribing intervention on loneliness and health-related quality of life among vulnerable urban adults (RECETAS-BCN): an observer-blinded randomised controlled trial

L Coll-Planas, M Masó-Aguado, L Briones-Buixassa, A Morató, S Mendez, A Carbó, A Fuente-Vidal, M Olivella-Cirici, C Casajuana Kögel, A Bartova, L Cattaneo, AH Jansson, A Kolster, B Novotna, N Opacin, V Papon, S Puntscher, LJ Rautiainen, U Rochau, S Blancafort-Alias Show all

Lancet Regional Health Europe | Elsevier BV | Published : 2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101821

Open access

Abstract

Background: Loneliness is a major public health problem disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations and has well-recognised health consequences. The RECETAS-BCN study tests the effectiveness of ‘Friends in Nature (FiN)’, a facilitator-led group and nature-based social prescribing (NBSP) intervention, built on existing evidence, to reduce loneliness and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults. Methods: In this observer-blinded, parallel randomised controlled trial, we recruited lonely adults (18+), from 12 neighbourhoods with low socioeconomic levels in the Barcelona metropolitan region of Spain. Participants were randomised (1:1) into two NBSP pathways: 1) group-b..

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