Abstract
Community health promotion activities are a useful tool for a proactive approach to healthy lifestyles. However, the implementation of these types of activities at health centers is not standardized. The aim of this review was to analyse the characteristics of community activities undertaken in the primary care setting and substantiate available evidence on their health impact. We conducted a bibliographic review until November 15th, 2023 in the TRIPDATABASE, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and DIALNET databases. We included original papers on interventions, community activities, and actions and/or social prescriptions which had been implemented in a Primary Care setting, included a group approach in at least one session, and described some type of evaluation of the intervention applied. Studies targeted at professionals and those without involvement of the primary care team were excluded. The search identified 1912 potential studies. We included a total of 30 studies, comprising 11 randomized clinical trials, 14 quasi-experimental studies, 1 cohort study, and 4 qualitative studies. The issues most frequently addressed in community activities were healthy habits, physical activity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Community activities can improve the physical and psychological environment of their participants, as well as their level of knowledge about the issues addressed. That said, however, implementation of these types of interventions is not uniform. The existence of a professional community-activity liaison officer at health centers, who would help integrate the health system with the community sector, could serve to standardize implementation and maximize the health impact of these types of interventions.
Keywords
Impact Statement
This review serves to clarify which community activities are most effective for being undertaken in primary care (PC), and will also help health professionals conduct these interventions for the community with greater prospects of success. This will improve the population’s healthy behaviors, boost empowerment for self-care purposes, and reduce the overload on the healthcare system.
Introduction
Growing population aging, along with a higher incidence of chronic diseases, raises the need for a more pro-active healthcare model that addresses health determinants more comprehensively. 1 Lifestyle is the main determinant of the status of population health. 2 Unhealthy behaviors like alcohol consumption and smoking are risk factors for high-prevalence diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which substantially affect people’s quality of life.3 -6 Currently, promotion of healthy lifestyles from a community perspective is advocated as the most effective approach for preventing chronic diseases and achieving holistic and integrated care of the individual.7,8
Community activities (CA) are defined as “all those intervention and participation activities that are carried out by groups that have common characteristics, needs or interests and are aimed at promoting health, increasing quality of life and social well-being, enhancing the capacity of individuals and groups to address their own problems, demands or needs.” 9 CA-based interventions have succeeded in improving health behaviors related to regular physical exercise, 10 dietary habits,11,12 and emotional state.13,14
Given its accessibility and function as a gateway to the health system, the PC healthcare environment enjoys a privileged position for implementation of CA targeted at promoting health-related behaviors in the community. 15 Yet, evidence on the conduct of PC-led community activities is unclear. It is necessary to unify the action criteria governing their implementation and ascertain which CA, with participation of PC teams (PCTs), generate the greatest health benefits. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of CA undertaken in PC settings, and examine the available evidence on the health impact of such activities.
Methods
Search Strategy
We conducted a search in the TRIPDATABASE, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and DIALNET databases until November 15th, 2023 (Figure 1). The search strategy used for TRIPDATABASE, MEDLINE and EMBASE was: (“community activity” OR “community program” OR “community intervention” OR “social prescription” OR “social prescribing” OR “social intervention”) AND (“primary care” OR “primary health care”). In addition, the search terms used in DIALNET were: social prescription, community action, community activity, community intervention, and intervention in the community.

PRISMA 2009 flow diagram of the original studies included in the review.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
We included all papers in which the intervention met the agreed CA definition drawn up by experts. 9 We selected all original papers on interventions, community activities, and actions and/or social prescriptions (SPr) which had been implemented in a PC setting, included a group approach in at least one session, and described some type of evaluation of the intervention applied. The following were excluded: studies brief or one-time intervention whose CA were exclusively targeted at professionals; those where the PCT’s action was limited to the capture of participants; and those in which the selection criteria could not be ascertained after consulting the corresponding author.
Data-extraction and Analysis
We applied a two-step inclusion process. Firstly, the references found were separately reviewed by pairs of reviewers (D.G.M.M., A.R.F., S.N.), after perusal of the title and abstract.
Secondly, after a reading of the full text, papers that failed to meet the selection criteria were discarded. The authors of papers were contacted in cases where there were missing study data that might have allowed for the papers’ inclusion among those selected. Differences of opinion were discussed and settled by the reviewers. (A.R.F., S.N., D.G.M.M.).
The data were extracted by one of the authors, and (D.G.M.M.) variables relating to CA, the target population and PCT were analyzed by reference to the classification of their characteristics made by the authors (Supplemental Table S1).
Results
Characteristics of the Studies Selected
Figure 1 shows the search process and the results obtained with respect to CA undertaken in primary care. Once all duplicated results had been eliminated, 1912 references were identified; and after application of the pre-established selection criteria, a total of 30 papers were finally selected. Additional details about the characteristics of the papers selected are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
Main Characteristics of the CA of the Studies.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation; CV, cardiovascular; CVRF, cardiovascular risk factors; DM, diabetes mellitus; HE, health education; NA, not available; PA, physical activity; RCT, randomized clinical trial; SPr, social prescription.
Main Characteristics of the Target Population, Participation of the PCT and Professionals Involved in CA.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; CG, control group; D, development; E, evaluation; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; IG, intervention group; M, medicine; MEC, “Mini-Examen Cognoscitive”; N, nursing; NA, not available; PCT, primary care team; R, recruitment; RF, risk factor; SPr, social prescription; SW, social work.
Characteristics of Community Activities
The issues most frequently addressed by CA were healthy lifestyles and health promotion,26,29,33 engagement in physical activity,22,24,28,38,39 cardiovascular diseases or their risk factors,16,19,25 diabetes,23,30,38,40 and childhood obesity.27,32
In terms of the type of intervention carried out, only 2 CA exclusively based on SPr were identified.24,25 Another 2 studies—both of which stemmed from the EIRA Project—included some SPr-type activity that complemented the implementation of the CA.23,33
Use of technologies was observed in 5 of the studies selected, with online training programmes19,33,36 and specific mobile applications being used.23,32
Only 8 studies formed part of a project within the framework of a community health promotion strategy: these were the “PAS a PAS” project, 16 EIRA Project,23,33 “+Agil Barcelona,” 18 “PROGRAMA CONECTA ACTIUS PER A LA SALUT,” 39 “Alianza health and wellbeing model for healthier communities” programme, 31 “Barcelona Health in the Neighborhoods” 17 and “Aging, Community and Health Research Unit-Community Partnership Program” (ACHRU-CPP). 30
In all the studies, the process was evaluated by means of monitoring attendance and outcomes. Only 6 studies, however, analyzed the participants’ opinions about or satisfaction with the CA.17,19,20,31,33,36
Effectiveness of Community Activities
The CA were effective in 22 of the 30 studies selected, with 7 having a positive effect on healthy lifestyles,16,24,25,32 -34,41 3 on physical condition,18,28,38 4 on self-care behavior,21,30,31,35 1 on the doctor-patient relationship, 36 4 on cognitive performance or mental health,17,37,40,43 5 on quality of life,17,22,39,42,44 and 3 in terms of improvement in knowledge about the topic addressed.19,26,45
PCT Participation Level
The PCT took part both in the capture of participants, and in the implementation and evaluation of CA in 17 of the studies selected.17,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30,33,35,37,38,41,42,44,45
Professionals Involved
Medical, nursing16,17,19,20 -22,25 -30,32,35,38,40,42,44 and social services20,21,22,29,38,44 professionals participated in most of the CA. In addition, other profiles as varied as physical activity professionals,16,22,35,38,42 teachers, 34 and neighborhood and town council community agents also took part.17,30,39,44 The figure of the “expert patient” was likewise used: this consists of a patient, who suffers from the health problem addressed in the CA, contributing his/her views and experience to those of the rest of the participants. 19
Target Population and Type of Participation of Participants
The studies were undertaken in Spain (20), Canada (5), USA (2), Cuba (1), Hong Kong (1) and Sweden (1). The target population at which the CA were aimed was diverse, and depended in turn on the CA’s proposed topic and goal (Table 1).
The reasons for withdrawal most widely cited by participants were lack of interest or refusal to participate,16,18,21,36,38,42,43 health or personal problems16,17,18,22,23,38,39,42,43 and timetable clashes.26,27 No withdrawal was recorded in 5 studies.30,33,37,41,44
In terms of type of participation, 26 studies described a passive type of participation, and only in 4 studies did the participants play an active participatory role, that is, self-management as members of work groups within the context of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, 32 self-management in walking activities, 39 advising the research team 30 or through the medium of the expert patient. 19
Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the first review to analyse the impact of CA undertaken in primary care, without restrictions in terms of target population, topic, or type of participation. Our results show that CA can improve participants’ physical and psychological environment, as well as their level of knowledge about the topics addressed. The most frequent CA in PC settings are linked to healthy habits, physical activity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, in which only the passive participation of participants is required.
To activate health promotion, the Ottawa Charter proposes the following 5 key strategies: build healthy public policy; create supportive environments; develop personal skills; reorient health services; and strengthen community actions. 46 Current evidence shows that the use of community assets improves quality of life and recognizes the need for these assets to be integrated into standard healthcare practice.47,48 Institutional implementation of CA in a PC environment boosts the use of health assets, contributes to the population’s empowerment for self-care purposes, and constitutes the community health-promotion approach demanded by health authorities. 49
The concept of CA has gradually evolved over time. Although stress was initially laid on health promotion targeted at the community, 50 currently the emphasis is on group action, of a non-specific nature, which adopts an approach aimed at boosting the health and wellbeing of the population.9,51 -54 According to previous studies, CA with active participation in which the community is involved, are those that have a greater health impact. 53 Even so, the most frequent CA are characterized by passive participation. 7 Hence, the inclusion of these types of activities allows us to obtain a real picture of the CA implemented in PC. For this reason, this review did not apply restrictions to the type of participation of the target population.
This study selected CA in which the role of PC was not exclusively limited to the selection of participants and where the PCT itself was required to be actively involved in the implementation and/or evaluation of the process. We feel that this criterion is necessary to reflect the PCT’s potential as a promoter of healthy behaviors in the community.
Moreover, this review looks into a currently pivotal type of CA, namely, SPr55,56: “This salutogenic process focuses on promoting well-being by referral to a range of non-medical approaches, from exercise on prescription, to arts-based activities and beyond.” 57 In it, the PCT identifies participants’ non-medical needs and assesses their suitability for the activity. 58 Despite incurring possible selection bias that might undermine the evaluative quality of these activities, 59 pre-selection of the target population could enhance the effectiveness of these types of interventions as compared to the rest of CA. 60
Undertaking these types of interventions requires the application of a uniform method, yet the studies analyzed show the existence of heterogeneity when it comes to their implementation. This agrees with related studies that display a lack of standardization and methodological deficits in the design and selection of the target population.9,53,61 -64
Lack of evaluation of CA poses an obstacle to conducting such interventions and rendering them more visible. 65 Our study selected health-centered CA which could have been evaluated, with the aim of analyzing these interventions by reference to the coherence and the utility of the findings reported. 66 Evaluating participants’ degree of satisfaction and opinions is useful for ascertaining points pending improvement, a phase that is indispensable when it comes to facilitating standardization and maximizing the effectiveness of such interventions. 67
Most of the CA conducted at health centers do not form part of any community health project. This shows that their implementation could be due to the public spiritedness of the professionals themselves. 52 Furthermore, the absence of timetables with exclusive PCT dedication to the community approach, plus the healthcare overload and the lack of specific training for professionals hinder the standardization of these types of interventions.68 -70 Strategic community health-promotion projects lay the foundation for institutionalized implementation of CA.71,72
The reasons for withdrawal described by participants are varied, 73 as confirmed by our review. Adherence of the target population may be determined by the type of professional who leads the CA 74 and by the existence of professional health system-PC liaison staff. 75
The use of new technologies is observed in CA undertaken from 2014 onwards. As technological development of health applications progresses and the CA target population becomes more familiar with their use, these resources could be extended and converted into essential tools by virtue of their dynamism and versatility. Along these same lines, there is evidence of the effectiveness of new technologies 76 in smoking cessation programs. 77
This review has the following limitations. Firstly, the majority of the studies selected were conducted in Spain. This may suggest that a health system such as Spain’s, operating on 2 healthcare levels (primary and specialized care), favors the undertaking of CA targeted at the promotion of healthy behaviors. 78 Secondly, given that the majority of CA are not evaluated, this review could be influenced by publication bias, inasmuch as there may be CA that are not identifiable by biomedical search engines.
Conclusion
CA undertaken in a PC environment are an effective instrument for enhancing the collective health of the community. Even so, institutional implementation of CA is limited. The studies reviewed report the effectiveness of CA for fostering the development of healthy lifestyles, improving self-care in chronic/long-lasting diseases, quality of life, and level of knowledge of the topic addressed. There is a predominance of CA with passive participation, and the most frequent issues are healthy habits, physical activity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Lack of standardization of CA may limit the impact on participants’ health.
The evaluation of the impact of CA is essential to improve its implementation and to generate the necessary evidence to facilitate the standardization of its development. A CA resource person at the health center, who would act as liaison between the health system and the community, would serve to increase the spread of CA and the involvement of community agents, foster the adherence and active participation of the target population and the evaluation of these interventions. Furthermore, the setting-up of a specific electronic register on PC-based CA would furnish up-to-date information when it comes to planning standardized implementation of these types of interventions. There is a need for community health strategies, with institutional backing, that would provide the PCT with support for unifying action criteria, carry out rigorous evaluations and boosting the health impact of CA in PC settings.
Supplemental Material
sj-docx-1-jpc-10.1177_21501319231223362 – Supplemental material for Community Activities in Primary Care: A Literature Review
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jpc-10.1177_21501319231223362 for Community Activities in Primary Care: A Literature Review by Diego Gabriel Mosteiro Miguéns, Almudena Rodríguez Fernández, Maruxa Zapata Cachafeiro, Natalia Vieito Pérez, Francisco Jesús Represas Carrera and Silvia Novío Mallón in Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Supplemental Material
sj-docx-2-jpc-10.1177_21501319231223362 – Supplemental material for Community Activities in Primary Care: A Literature Review
Supplemental material, sj-docx-2-jpc-10.1177_21501319231223362 for Community Activities in Primary Care: A Literature Review by Diego Gabriel Mosteiro Miguéns, Almudena Rodríguez Fernández, Maruxa Zapata Cachafeiro, Natalia Vieito Pérez, Francisco Jesús Represas Carrera and Silvia Novío Mallón in Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Supplemental Material
Supplemental material for this article is available online.
References
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