Social frailty and Co-Morbid Cancer and Dementia.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of the concept of social frailty amongst adults with co-morbid cancer and dementia, who are undergoing radiotherapy. A longitudinal mixed methods approach.
IRAS ID
321141
Contact name
Jennifer N C Woods
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Salford
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Individuals living with both cancer and dementia, are faced with many challenges and inequalities in the cancer care they receive. Recent research has found that individuals with co-morbid cancer and dementia rely heavily on support social networks (family and friends) during cancer treatment, and they are at risk of having to make significant changes to their social situations, such as moving into care homes.
This study will explore the perceptions and experiences of social frailty amongst adults with co-morbid cancer and dementia and investigate whether social frailty changes over the course of the individual’s cancer treatment pathway. Social frailty can be considered an umbrella term, which includes support networks (such as family and friends), social isolation, loneliness, social activities, social participation and socioeconomic factors (such as education, income and employment). All these social factors have been shown to have influence a person’s physical and mental health, overall survival, and quality of life. By having a better understanding of social frailty amongst adults with co-morbid cancer and dementia, it is hoped that this research will contribute to improving patient care and outcomes, using a personalised and preventative approach.
This study will use a longitudinal mixed methods approach (use of qualitative and quantitative tools at different time points). A range of data collection tools to address the research objectives, which include three semi-structured interviews, a short social frailty questionnaire and a semi-structured interview with care partners (person who is providing informal care).
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NE/0013
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion