R37CA256867

Social Health, Activity Behaviors, and Quality of Life Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Longitudinal Study - Abstract

Approximately 70,000 adolescents and young adults are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15-39 in the U.S. every year. Due to their age and life stage, the experience of a cancer diagnosis as a young adult (YA) can lead to a cascade of emotional and physical challenges.

A key obstacle faced by YA cancer patients is impaired social health, a complex construct that includes perceived social belonging, social support, and social network composition. YA patients report social health challenges such as maintaining existing and forming new social relationships after diagnosis, which may contribute to poor quality of life post-cancer.

Diminished social health is a major risk factor for poorer health in the general population and has been found to reduce health-promoting behaviors such as physical activity, in part because of the lack of healthy opportunities and support that social contacts can provide.

Cancer patients clearly benefit from greater levels of physical activity and lower levels of sedentary time as these are associated with improved quality of life, longer periods of disease-free survival, and lower mortality. Thus, understanding the relationships between social health, physical activity, and quality of life is critically important for YA cancer patients, as the impaired social health experienced by these patients may reduce their activity levels and endanger long-term health outcomes.

The overall hypothesis is that social health in YA is negatively impacted following a cancer diagnosis, and that detriments in social health influence subsequent physical activity behaviors and survivorship quality of life (emotional well-being and physical function).

In the proposed study, we will comprehensively prospectively assess social health over 12 months and examine its influence on activity behaviors and quality of life. Assessment will begin proximal to diagnosis when changes in social health are likely to initiate for YA cancer patients, with subsequent follow-ups at 3, 6, and 12 months. This longitudinal design will enable the examination of the dynamic changes in social health during and after therapy and its predictive influence on physical activity and quality of life.

The specific aims are:

Aim 1: We will characterize the trajectories of social health in YA cancer patients and assess their influences on quality of life in survivorship.

Aim 2: We will investigate the longitudinal associations between social health and activity behaviors in YA cancer patients and test the mediational and reciprocal relationships between social health, activity behaviors, and quality of life.

Aim 3: We will explore demographic and clinical moderators of the relationships between social health, activity behaviors, and quality of life.

Understanding the mechanistic processes by which social health impacts activity behaviors and quality of life will inform the development of effective intervention strategies to foster social health and improve healthy survivorship for this at-risk and vulnerable population.

University Of Southern California

TO IDENTIFY CANCER RISKS AND RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES, TO IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT CAUSE CANCER IN HUMANS, AND TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MECHANISMS FOR CANCER PREVENTION AND PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN HUMANS. RESEARCH PROGRAMS INCLUDE: (1) CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL AND MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, (2) SCREENING, EARLY DETECTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING BIOMARKER DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION, (3) EPIDEMIOLOGY, (4) NUTRITION AND BIOACTIVE FOOD COMPONENTS, (5) IMMUNOLOGY AND VACCINES, (6) FIELD STUDIES AND STATISTICS, (7) CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION AND INTERCEPTION, (8) PRE-CLINICAL AND CLINICAL AGENT DEVELOPMENT, (9) ORGAN SITE STUDIES AND CLINICAL TRIALS, (10) HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES, AND (11) SUPPORTIVE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SYMPTOMS AND TOXICITIES. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO STIMULATE TECHNICAL INNOVATION, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY WOMEN AND SOCIALLY/ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, AND FOSTER PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY WOMEN AND SOCIALLY/ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS.

93.393 - Cancer Cause and Prevention Research

National Cancer Institute (NCI) [HHS - NIH]

Los Angeles, California 900323649 United States

Single Zip Code

Research on biopsychosocial factors of social connectedness and isolation on health, wellbeing, illness, and recovery (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) (PAR-19-373)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 381% from $660,272 to $3,178,150.