Beyond adherence to social prescriptions: How places, social acquaintances and stories help walking group members to thrive

Abstract

Social prescribing (SP) is an increasingly popular means of enabling medical professionals to refer people to social activities. However, how individuals accommodate activity groups into their routines has been neglected by studies exploring SP. This paper uses qualitative approaches to explore how place and sociability influence the experiences of individuals with type-2 diabetes in a social prescription walking group. Using in-situ conversations and in-depth interviews, we demonstrate how place and sociability extends beyond a group via storytelling, and allows individuals to become part of a group. Understanding place, sociability and storytelling is critical in characterising the benefits of social prescription.