Jenny Groarke
I'm a lecturer in the School of Psychology at Queen's University Belfast. I have three broad research interests. My main research interest is how the arts support and improve people's mental and physical health. I also carry out research exploring the psychological experience of people living with and beyond cancer, and I examine how digital technologies can improve health behaviour.
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Papers by Jenny Groarke
of cancer survivors are overweight. This has negative implications for long-term health outcomes, including increased risk of
subsequent and secondary cancers. There is a need to identify interventions, which can improve physical and psychological
outcomes that are practical in modern oncology care. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions demonstrate potential for positive
health behavior change, but there is little evidence for the efficacy of mobile technology to improve health outcomes in cancer
survivors.
Objective: This study aims to investigate whether a personalized mHealth self-management lifestyle program is acceptable to
participants and can improve physical and psychological outcomes of a subgroup of cancer survivors with increased health risks
related to lifestyle behaviors.
Methods: A sample of 123 cancer survivors (body mass index >25 kg/m2
) was randomly assigned to the control (n=61) or
intervention (n=62) group. The intervention group attended a 4-hour tailored lifestyle information session with a physiotherapist,
dietician, and clinical psychologist to support self-management of health behavior. Over the following 12 weeks, participants
engaged in personalized goal setting to incrementally increase physical activity (with feedback and review of goals through short
message service text messaging contact). Objective measures of health behavior (ie, physical activity) were collected using Fitbit
(Fitbit, Inc). Data on anthropometric, physiological, dietary behavior, and psychological measures were collected at baseline
(T0), 12 weeks (T1; intervention end), and 24 weeks (T2; follow-up). Semistructured interviews were conducted to explore the
retrospective acceptability of the Moving On program from the perspective of the recipients.
Results: This paper details the protocol for the Moving On study. The project was funded in August 2017. Enrolment started
in December 2017. Data collection completed in September 2018. Data analysis is underway, and results are expected in winter
2019.
Conclusions: The results of this study will determine the efficacy and acceptability of an mHealth intervention using behavior
change techniques to promote health behaviors that support physical health and well-being in cancer survivors and will therefore
have implications for health care providers, patients, health psychologists, and technologists.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13214
of cancer survivors are overweight. This has negative implications for long-term health outcomes, including increased risk of
subsequent and secondary cancers. There is a need to identify interventions, which can improve physical and psychological
outcomes that are practical in modern oncology care. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions demonstrate potential for positive
health behavior change, but there is little evidence for the efficacy of mobile technology to improve health outcomes in cancer
survivors.
Objective: This study aims to investigate whether a personalized mHealth self-management lifestyle program is acceptable to
participants and can improve physical and psychological outcomes of a subgroup of cancer survivors with increased health risks
related to lifestyle behaviors.
Methods: A sample of 123 cancer survivors (body mass index >25 kg/m2
) was randomly assigned to the control (n=61) or
intervention (n=62) group. The intervention group attended a 4-hour tailored lifestyle information session with a physiotherapist,
dietician, and clinical psychologist to support self-management of health behavior. Over the following 12 weeks, participants
engaged in personalized goal setting to incrementally increase physical activity (with feedback and review of goals through short
message service text messaging contact). Objective measures of health behavior (ie, physical activity) were collected using Fitbit
(Fitbit, Inc). Data on anthropometric, physiological, dietary behavior, and psychological measures were collected at baseline
(T0), 12 weeks (T1; intervention end), and 24 weeks (T2; follow-up). Semistructured interviews were conducted to explore the
retrospective acceptability of the Moving On program from the perspective of the recipients.
Results: This paper details the protocol for the Moving On study. The project was funded in August 2017. Enrolment started
in December 2017. Data collection completed in September 2018. Data analysis is underway, and results are expected in winter
2019.
Conclusions: The results of this study will determine the efficacy and acceptability of an mHealth intervention using behavior
change techniques to promote health behaviors that support physical health and well-being in cancer survivors and will therefore
have implications for health care providers, patients, health psychologists, and technologists.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13214