Intensive smoking cessation intervention in a nature-based setting: a feasibility study of the Danish Gold Standard Program (GSP)

The implementation of nature-based interventions has demonstrated a positive impact on health outcomes and overall well-being. The knowledge of nature-based smoking cessation interventions is sparse but might offer potential benefits for smokers undertaking an intensive smoking cessation program. This study assessed the feasibility in real life of the 6-week Danish Intensive Gold Standard Program (GSP) for smoking cessation in the nature compared to the standard setting in primary health care. This feasibility study included follow-up of 81/90 (90%) participants in nature-based and 56,480/58,772 (96%) participants in the standard setting, all receiving the intensive GSP and registered after informed consent in the national Danish STOPbase between 2018 -2023. The feasibility was described by the indicators: Mainly successful quitting after 6-month, secondly at end of the 6-week program, compliance, and satisfaction; all obtained by interviews. All indicators seemed similarly high in the two settings. After 6-month, 43% had successfully quitted in the naturebased setting and 37% in the standardized setting without statistical significance (RR 1.25, 95% CI:0.80-1.94). The nature-based setting was feasible and seemed to receive produce similar outcomes as the standard setting for the 6-week intensive Gold Standard Program in Denmark in real life.