Making Healthy Choices: Does Having an Online Health Coach Help?

Helping Rural-living Young Adult Cancer Survivors Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Does Having a Telehealth Personal Health Coach Help?

Participating in regular physical activity and consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables can aid in the management of various acute and chronic side effects of cancer treatment; however, few rural-dwelling young adult cancer survivors are active enough and consume enough fruits and vegetables to accrue benefits. Telehealth interventions show promise for helping these young adults increase their motivation to participate in these behaviours by addressing barriers associated with accessing face-to-face behaviour counselling services (e.g., time commitment, travel distance). Yet, few researchers have examined the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth intervention that provides motivational support grounded in self-determination theory for these health behaviours in rural-dwelling young adult cancer survivors. Based on previous research, the researchers reasoned that rural-dwelling young adult cancer survivors' physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption would be more likely to increase if they participated in a telehealth intervention therefore, the researchers aim to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention. The researchers also aim to assess if changes in perceived basic psychological need satisfaction, behaviour regulation, and perceived autonomy support are associated with changes in physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Are between the ages of 20-39 years
• Live in a rural area (i.e., areas with <35,000 inhabitants)
• Have completed primary treatment for non-metastatic cancer
• Are not currently meeting the American Cancer Society guidelines for physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption
• Have access to the Internet and to audio-visual devices
• Are willing to provide informed consent to participate in this study and willing to follow study protocol
• Able to read and understand English
• Are ambulatory

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a serious condition that precludes safe participation in physical activity
• Have symptomatic heart or vascular diseases (angina, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure)
• Have severe hypertension
• Have had a recent stroke
• Have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Have severe insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
• Have renal disease
• Have liver disease