Evaluation of a lifestyle programme for breast cancer patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of a group intervention to improve nutritional intake and physical activity for women who have had treatment for breast cancer
IRAS ID
181365
Contact name
Jane Richardson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Worcester
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 9 months, 4 days
Research summary
Can a group lifestyle intervention promote behaviour change in breast cancer patients?
Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the UK and with effective management there is a large population of people who have had breast cancer. Breast cancer treatments can increase risks of cancer recurrence or secondary conditions such as heart disease or osteoporosis; however this risk can be modified by lifestyle improvement. Many factors affect a person’s ability to modify their lifestyle and this may be influenced by the experience of diagnosis and treatment.
The McClelland lifestyle intervention was designed following a review of research evidence which recommends that cancer survivors maintain a healthy body weight, be physically active, and eat a healthy diet. It is a complex intervention that involves nutrition education, group support, goal setting and physical activity. The programme was set up in 2013 and runs at the University Wellbeing Centre.
This study aims to analyse the impact of this programme on long term behaviour change and nutritional quality. The impact of the intervention will be investigated using the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for the evaluation of complex interventions within a realist evaluation framework using a within-subject quasi experimental design. The aim will be to find out whether the intervention works, how it might work, and in which contexts and for which participants. This approach will involve analysing quantitative and qualitative outcome data in terms of context and mechanisms of the intervention to identify the ways it can be made to work more effectively.
The research participants will be women who have had breast cancer treatment. Data will be collected for 3 months before and for 12 months after participation in the lifestyle programme. Data collected before participation will be compared to data collected afterwards meaning that participants act as their own controls.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0332
Date of REC Opinion
2 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion