Utilizing the Internet to promote health behaviour change for rural-living young adult cancer survivors

Abstract

Regular physical activity (PA) participation and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption confers numerous health benefits for cancer survivors. Rural-living young adult cancer survivors have reported many barriers to participation in health-promoting behaviours such as the lack of physician/specialist availability, access to PA programming and/or affordable FV, and reliable transportation. Interventions seeking to promote PA participation and FV consumption fail to address many barriers as they are traditionally offered in urban centres. Alternative means for delivering PA and FV behaviour change interventions need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated for this population.

Keywords

• Rural; Health; Behaviour change; Cancer survivors; Young adults; Telehealth