Healthy diet and physical activity lifestyle in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors
Objective
This pilot study aims to characterize adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYA CS) by comparing them to healthy peer controls for physiological and health measures (e.g., body composition, dietary intake, physical activity, high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) and blood lipids). Moreover, we will conduct qualitative interviews with AYA CS to understand facilitators and barriers of healthy lifestyle behaviors, with a special focus on the preferred delivery method, content, and health-related issues of most concern for AYA CS.
The central hypothesis (H) of this proposal is that due to the lasting effects of cancer treatment during adolescence and young adulthood, AYA CS have less fat free mass and lower dietary quality than their age-matched peers which in turn contributes to a lower metabolic rate and more cardio-metabolic health risks in this group. While each of these factors may have their roots in the cancer treatment that AYA survivors received, the benefits of healthy dietary intake and physical activity remain critical for their long-term health and well-being.
Aim 1: To compare cardio-metabolic health outcomes in AYA CS (n=25) to their healthy peer controls (n=25). Hypothesis 1: Compared to their healthy peers, AYA CS will have a lower lean muscle mass, higher fat mass, and similar levels of physical activity. Hypothesis 2: Compared to their healthy peers, AYA CS will have lower diet quality, lower plasma carotenoid levels, higher hsCRP levels, and higher blood lipids.
Aim 2: To explore facilitators and barriers to healthy cardio-metabolic outcomes in AYA CS (n=25). This is an exploratory aim, with no hypothesis.
