Respite Sporting Trips for people with Cancer

As treatments advance and diagnoses are made earlier, a growing number of patients, who have been diagnosed with cancer, are receiving treatments, recovering after treatments, or coping with advanced disease at a palliative stage. Whilst anecdotal feedback indicates that respite sporting trips can contribute to rehabilitation and have a transformative impact on the wellbeing of cancer patients and their families little research has been done to identify the key factors which promote such positive experiences. This PhD opportunity at the University of Brighton will allow a research student to undertake collaborative research with the 4 Cancer Group in order to determine the perceived barriers to and benefits obtained from accessing such trips. This exciting research collaboration offers a unique opportunity to better define the health benefits and challenges for patients and families and will provide tangible evidence to augment ongoing provision of respite and rehabilitative sporting opportunities

There is a growing body of research that has examined the benefits of physical activity and exercise for people who have been diagnosed with cancer, going through treatments, recovering after treatments, or coping with advanced disease. Physical exercise is integral to rehabilitation approaches and has been found to be useful in improving the quality of life by palliating function, mobility, activities of daily living, pain relief, endurance, and the psyche of a patient while helping to maintain as much independence as possible; leading to a decrease in burden on caregivers and family enabling and people with life-limiting and terminal conditions to live as independently and fully as possible. Physical activity has been found to improve symptoms of fatigue, pain and depression and keeping active is identified with maintaining self-esteem, notably when linked to ’having fun’. Rehabilitative palliative care has potential to reduce disability and dependence, both on families and on health and social care services and it is now as likely for patients with cancer, at any stage, to be told by health care practitioners to be physically active rather than rest while undergoing treatment. Physical exercise has also been shown to engender a sense of hope which is essential in enhancing quality of life, as it plays an integral role in psychosocial well-being. What is less well understood is how an extended period of physical activity or a respite sporting trip impact upon quality of life for a person who has the diagnosis of cancer and also their families.

The research aims to surface deep issues relating to respite sporting activity and the impact of this on improving quality of life for people with cancer. It will ensure all the voices of those involved are heard. It will cut through taken for granted assumptions and will be better used to define the health benefits for patients and families and will provide tangible evidence to augment ongoing provision of respite sporting opportunities. A further output of the PhD will be to build a methodological framework in which subsequent research can be conducted.

The research will involve collecting data from people who are participating in the 4 Cancer Group’s sporting and leisure respite events to help inform philosophically gained insights into the impact that these experiences have on the wellbeing of a family who have been affected by a diagnosis of cancer. Of note, the research will be designed with patients and the public and will require the researcher to collaborate across a multi-disciplinary team including health and sport scientists and oncology specialists as well as a steering group representing the 4 Cancer Group and business support. Data are likely to be collected through focus groups, interviews and participant observation to situate the researcher alongside the life world of those who are studied. In addition a systematic literature review will be undertaken to assess the knowledge base about the impact of respite sport on wellbeing.

For further project details and information on entry requirements please see: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/research-and-enterprise/postgraduate-research-degrees/funding-opportunities-and-studentships/2017-studentship-4-cancer-respite-sporting-trips-for-people-with-cancer.aspx