scholarly journals “You’re Going to Have to Think a Little Bit Different” Barriers and Facilitators to Using mHealth to Increase Physical Activity among Older, Rural Cancer Survivors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 8929
Author(s):  
Tamar Ginossar ◽  
Heidi Rishel Brakey ◽  
Andrew L. Sussman ◽  
Brittany Price ◽  
Miria Kano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Broadband Internet ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

Wearable activity trackers (WATs) hold great promise in increasing physical activity among older cancer survivors. However, older cancer survivors who reside in rural regions are at increased risk of being digitally marginalized. The goal of this study was to learn about WATs adoption motivation and needs of rural older cancer survivors who live in New Mexico, one of the most rural states with the lowest broadband Internet connectivity in the United States. We conducted six key informant interviews and recruited 31 older cancer survivors from rural counties statewide who participated in interviews and focus groups. Our results show great interest in using WATs as part of an intervention to alleviate barriers associated with the digital divide. Participants were offered diverse modalities to support them in adoption of the trackers. These results will be used to inform future interventions and policies focusing on increasing physical activity in older cancer survivors who reside in rural communities.

scholarly journals Injury Risk Associated With Sports Specialization and Activity Volume in Youth

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 232596711987012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison E. Field ◽  
Frances A. Tepolt ◽  
Daniel S. Yang ◽  
Mininder S. Kocher
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
The United States ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Sports Activity ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background: Sports specialization has become increasingly common among youth. Purpose/Hypothesis: To investigate the relative importance of specialization vs volume of activity in increasing risk of injury. Hypotheses were that specialization increases the risk of injury and that risk varies by sport. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A prospective analysis was conducted with data collected from 10,138 youth in the Growing Up Today Study—a prospective cohort study of youth throughout the United States—and their mothers. Activity was assessed via questionnaires in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Sports specialization was defined as engaging in a single sport in the fall, winter, and spring. Injury history was provided by participants’ mothers via questionnaire in 2004. The outcome was incident stress fracture, tendinitis, chondromalacia patella, anterior cruciate ligament tear, or osteochondritis dissecans or osteochondral defect. Results: Females who engaged in sports specialization were at increased risk of injury (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.61), but risk varied by sport. Sports specialization was associated with greater volume of physical activity in both sexes ( P < .0001). Total hours per week of vigorous activity was predictive of developing injury, regardless of what other variables were included in the statistical model (males: HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06; females: HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.08). Among females, even those engaging in 3 to 3.9 hours per week less than their age were at a significantly increased risk of injury (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.34-2.77). In males, there was no clear pattern of risk. Conclusion: Sports specialization is associated with a greater volume of vigorous sports activity and increased risk of injury. Parents, coaches, and medical providers need to be made aware of the volume threshold above which physical activity is excessive.

Who Uses Wearable Activity Trackers and Why? A Comparison of Former and Current Users in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 762-769
Author(s):  
Ciarán P. Friel ◽  
Carol Ewing Garber
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
The United States ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Shared Data ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers ◽  
Average Current ◽  
Activity Behavior

Background: There has been an explosion in the use of wearable activity trackers (WATs), but we do not fully understand who wears them and why. This study’s purpose was to describe the characteristics of WAT users and to compare current and former users. Materials and Methods: A variety of internet-based resources (eg, Craigslist, Facebook) were used to recruit current and former WAT users. Respondents completed a web-based survey, where they provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, health, physical activity behavior, and about their WAT use. Results: Of the 2826 respondents who gave informed consent, 70.8% (n = 2002) met inclusion criteria for this analysis. Respondents ranged from 18 to 81 years old (mean 32.9 ± 12.2 standard deviation) with 73.8% women. Most were current WAT users (68.7%), and the average length of WAT use overall was 9.3 ± 9.7 months. On average, current users wore the device for 3.7 months longer than former users. Compared to current users, former users had a lower body mass index (1.2 kg/m2 less), reported fewer medical conditions, shared data from their device less often, and received the device as a gift more frequently. Conclusions: Current and former users varied in their reasons for using a WAT and how they used their device. Differences identified between these groups support further exploration of associations between WAT users’ profiles and their physical activity behavior.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Risk of Cancer

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Moore ◽  
Charles E. Matthews ◽  
Sarah Keadle ◽  
Alpa V. Patel ◽  
I-Min Lee
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Breast Cancers ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Moderate Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Of Cancer

Current physical activity guidelines recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g., brisk walking), or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity (e.g., jogging), or an equivalent combination of these. In the United States and worldwide, many adults fail to meet these recommended activity levels, with deleterious consequences for health, including increased risk of some cancers. This chapter reviews the epidemiologic evidence for links between physical activity and cancer, emphasizing published meta-analyses and the results of a recent large consortium-based study. The authors find the evidence to be convincing that physical activity reduces risk of colon and female breast cancers, and probable that it reduces risk of kidney and endometrial cancers. Moreover, physical activity has been associated with lower risk of cancers of the bladder, liver, gastric cardia, head and neck, esophagus (adenocarcinoma), and myeloma, myeloid leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

scholarly journals Willingness to Pay for Broadband Access by Kentucky Farmers

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Jeffcoat ◽  
Alison F. Davis ◽  
Wuyang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Property Taxes ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Broadband Access ◽  
Broadband Internet ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
E Mail

Since the Internet's inception its impact has been felt across the United States, but the distribution and adoption of the Internet has not necessarily been uniform geographically. As more consumers and businesses rely on the Internet to access information, the data transmission requirements have also increased. Consequently, access to broadband has become increasingly more important since dial-up cannot realistically handle the increased requirements. The use of broadband in agriculture can provide better access to price, weather, and management information while also opening new markets. However, many rural communities lag behind urban areas in broadband access and adoption rates. This study evaluates, through the use of a producer survey, the level of broadband Internet use, motivations for its use, degree of access to broadband, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) to fund broadband infrastructure investments. Results from the producer survey suggested farmers utilize the Internet primarily for accessing weather reports, e-mail, market reports, and agricultural news. Notably, the survey's WTP questions allowed for the use of an interval regression to calculate producer WTP for varying demographics. The results suggested that producers who were younger, farmed larger farms, and those who currently use the Internet but do not have broadband access were WTP more in property taxes to support broadband infrastructure investments than those of a differing demographic. Because WTP levels varied drastically depending on the underlying demographics, it becomes difficult to pinpoint a WTP level for a one-time payment in property taxes that would be acceptable from a policy standpoint.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Association Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Diabetes

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 770-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyeongra Yang ◽  
Eileen R. Chasens ◽  
Susan M. Sereika ◽  
Lora E. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Large Population ◽  
The United States ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Increased Risk

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of diabetes in a large population-level dataset. Methods A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a population-based survey (n = 403,137) conducted in the United States. Results The majority of the respondents were middle-aged and overweight. Approximately half of the sample reported little or no physical activity. Estimates from a logistic regression model for a weighted sample of white, black, and Hispanic adults revealed that having hypertension or elevated cholesterol was a strong predictor of diabetes even when controlling for age, gender, race, education, income, body mass index, smoking status, and physical activity. Conclusions The results confirmed the importance of diabetes educators counseling patients with hypertension or hypercholesterolemia about their increased risk for developing diabetes.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors for Spousal Resemblance in Obesity Status and Habitual Physical Activity in the United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Jen Chen ◽  
Yinghui Liu ◽  
Youfa Wang
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
The United States ◽  
Habitual Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors

Studies suggested that the married population has an increased risk of obesity and assimilation between spouses’ body weight. We examined what factors may affect married spouses’ resemblance in weight status and habitual physical activity (HPA) and the association of obesity/HPA with spouses’ sociodemoeconomic characteristics and lifestyles. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data of 11,403 adult married couples in the US during years 2006–2008 were used. Absolute-scale difference and relative-scale resemblance indices (correlation and kappa coefficients) in body mass index (BMI) and HPA were estimated by couples’ socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. We found that spousal difference in BMI was smaller for couples with a lower household income, for who were both unemployed, and for older spouses. Correlation coefficient between spouses’ BMI was 0.24, differing by race/ethnicity and family size. Kappa coefficient for weight status (obesity: BMI ≥ 30, overweight: 30 > BMI ≥ 25) was 0.11 and 0.35 for HPA. Never-working women’s husbands had lower odds of obesity than employed women’s husbands (OR = 0.69 (95% CI = 0.53–0.89)). Men’s unemployment status was associated with wives’ greater odds of obesity (OR = 1.31 (95% CI = 1.01–1.71)). HPA was associated with men’s employment status and income level, but not with women’s. The population representative survey showed that spousal resemblance in weight status and HPA varied with socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Abstract 1122‐000062: Impact of COVID‐19 on Stroke Care in the United States and Potential Solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanika S Mhatre
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Average Delay ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Stroke Treatment ◽  
Urban Regions

Introduction : The emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic has negatively impacted medical care across the United States, especially so for rural communities. In this qualitative study, we investigated the barriers to the access of adequate treatment of ischemic stroke that have risen due to COVID‐19 in urban and rural regions of the United States of America. Methods : Using CDC data, we identified 16 regions, consisting of half urban and half rural regions, that had the highest stroke mortality rate and the highest incidence of COVID‐19 cases in the country. We compiled a list of neurointerventionalists practicing in these regions and designed a survey that was emailed to each neurointerventionalist. The survey investigated how stroke treatment in their hospital has been affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic; it additionally contained a request for a virtual interview to allow neurointerventionalists to discuss in greater detail the barriers to stroke treatment they are facing. Neurointerventionalists from hospitals across four urban regions and three rural regions filled out the survey and were then interviewed by Zoom or phone. Results : The survey and the interviews highlighted a number of barriers: hospitals in both urban and rural regions faced an unavailability of ICU beds during COVID surges. As COVID‐19 patients continued to occupy ICU beds, thrombectomy‐capable hospitals could not accept transfer stroke patients. These patients had to be diverted to other thrombectomy‐capable hospitals with vacant ICU beds, resulting in time lost before treatment. Stroke transfer posed more of a challenge in rural regions (as compared to urban communities) due to fewer rural‐area hospitals performing thrombectomy. Secondly, both urban and rural regions saw stroke patients delay their arrival to the hospital. In urban regions, stroke patients delayed their arrival by up to a week in some cases. Patients with milder stroke symptoms did not show up to the hospital for treatment at all, hoping the stroke would subside on its own. This pattern has been attributed to patients’ fear of contracting COVID‐19. In comparison, rural hospitals faced a smaller average delay of up to a few days, as many patients did not see the virus as a threat. The delay was attributed to some patients’ fear of the virus, fear of the procedure, or longstanding physician mistrust. Lastly, rural regions encountered an understaffing of nurses; a likely factor is the incidence of layoffs early in the pandemic, which lessened the time spent at a stroke patient’s bedside and impacted stroke outcome. Conclusions : Urban regions were quicker to adapt to the pandemic than rural regions. They had a greater number of available staff and vacant ICU beds to be able to treat patients with minimal interference. Urban regions could still consider having nearby hospitals communicate with each other so that they can share the burden of care and prevent a single hospital from becoming overwhelmed. Rural regions could especially focus on hiring travel nurses in cases of understaffing, increasing the number of thrombectomy performing centers, and pushing the education of stroke.

Promoting Health and Physical Function Among Cancer Survivors: Potential for Prevention and Questions That Remain

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (32) ◽  
pp. 5125-5131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried ◽  
Bernardine M. Pinto ◽  
Ellen R. Gritz
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Cancer survivors are at increased risk, not only for progressive and recurrent disease, but also other cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and functional decline. Lifestyle interventions to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors, and smoking cessation, have the potential to improve the overall health and quality of life of this vulnerable population. Studies on overall health and physical function from 1966 and beyond regarding the impact of behavioral interventions that used randomized and controlled designs were identified through MEDLINE and PubMed searches. Published reports currently exist for 22 exercise interventions, 11 diet-related interventions (excluding those limited to dietary supplements or single nutrients), two diet and exercise interventions, and 10 behavioral-based smoking cessation interventions. Although many interventions have been successful in promoting behavioral change and have resulted in improvements in various health-related outcomes, more research is needed to determine the key components of interventions that are able to produce the greatest behavioral change and the most favorable health-related benefits. The oncology care provider can play a pivotal role in improving the long-term health of cancer survivors by (1) being aware of opportunities to encourage healthful behaviors (ie, smoking cessation, weight control, and increased physical activity); (2) vigilantly tracking long-term effects among cancer survivors and exploring whether they are amenable to intervention; (3) staying abreast of current health behavior guidelines for cancer survivors and existing resources for professional and patient education; and (4) supporting and contributing to efforts aimed at primary and tertiary prevention research.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Severe COVID-19 Illness in Adult Cancer Survivors in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changchuan Jiang ◽  
K Robin Yabroff ◽  
Lei Deng ◽  
Stuthi Perimbeti ◽  
Xuesong Han
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Medical Conditions ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cancer History ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Adult Cancer Survivors

Abstract Cancer, and other underlying medical conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and obesity, are associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness. We identified 6,411 cancer survivors and 77,748 adults without a cancer history from the 2016-2018 National Health Interview Survey and examined the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with these conditions in the US. Most survivors reported having ≥1 of the conditions (56.4% [95% CI = 54.8% to 57.9%] vs 41.6% [95% CI = 40.9% to 42.2%] in adults without a cancer history) and nearly one-quarter (22.9%, 95% CI = 21.6% to 24.3%) reported ≥2, representing 8.7 million and 3.5 million cancer survivors, respectively. These conditions were more prevalent in survivors of kidney, liver and uterine cancers as well as Black survivors, those with low socioeconomic status, and public insurance. Findings highlight the need to protect survivors against COVID-19 transmission in health-care facilities and prioritize cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and their health-care providers in vaccine allocation.

scholarly journals Mediating Effects of Frailty Indicators on the Risk of Sepsis After Cancer

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 708-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Xavier Moore ◽  
Tomi Akinyemiju ◽  
Alfred Bartolucci ◽  
Henry E. Wang ◽  
John Waterbor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Cancer Survivorship ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Cancer History ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Using Data

Background: Cancer survivors are at increased risk of sepsis, possibly attributed to weakened physiologic conditions. The aims of this study were to examine the mediation effect of indicators of frailty on the association between cancer survivorship and sepsis incidence and whether these differences varied by race. Methods: We performed a prospective analysis using data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort from years 2003 to 2012. We categorized frailty as the presence of ≥2 frailty components (weakness, exhaustion, and low physical activity). We categorized participants as “cancer survivors” or “no cancer history” derived from self-reported responses of being diagnosed with any cancer. We examined the mediation effect of frailty on the association between cancer survivorship and sepsis incidence using Cox regression. We repeated analysis stratified by race. Results: Among 28 062 eligible participants, 2773 (9.88%) were cancer survivors and 25 289 (90.03%) were no cancer history participants. Among a total 1315 sepsis cases, cancer survivors were more likely to develop sepsis (12.66% vs 3.81%, P < .01) when compared to participants with no cancer history (hazard ratios: 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 2.31-2.98, P < .01). The mediation effects of frailty on the log-hazard scale were very small: weakness (0.57%), exhaustion (0.31%), low physical activity (0.20%), frailty (0.75%), and total number of frailty indicators (0.69%). Similar results were observed when stratified by race. Conclusion: Cancer survivors had more than a 2-fold increased risk of sepsis, and indicators of frailty contributed to less than 1% of this disparity.

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