Dataset Information

Peer Support Needs and Preferences for Digital Peer Navigation among Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.

ABSTRACT: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer desire peer support and require support programs that address their unique needs. This study investigated the need for, and barriers to, peer support and preferences for digital peer navigation among AYA. A cross-sectional survey was administered to AYA, diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15-39, at a cancer center and through social media. Descriptive summary statistics were calculated. Participants (n = 436) were on average 31.2 years (SD = 6.3), 3.3 years since-diagnosis (SD = 3.8), and 65% (n = 218) were women. Over three-quaters (n = 291, 76.6%) desired peer support from cancer peers, but 41.4% (n = 157) had not accessed peer support. Main access barriers were: Inconvenience of in-person support groups (n = 284, 76.1%), finding AYA with whom they could relate (n = 268, 72.4%), and finding AYA-specific support programs (n = 261, 70.4%). Eighty-two percent (n = 310) desired support from a peer navigator through a digital app, and 63% (n = 231) were interested in being a peer navigator. Participants indicated a greater need for emotional (n = 329, 90.1%) and informational support (n = 326, 89.1%) than companionship (n = 284, 78.0%) or practical support (n = 269, 73.6%) from a peer navigator. Foremost peer matching characteristics were cancer-type (n = 329, 88.4%), specific concerns (n = 317, 86.1%), and age-at-diagnosis (n = 316, 86.1%). A digital peer navigation program was desired by over 80% of a large Canadian sample of AYA and could potentially overcome the barriers AYA experience in accessing peer support. The design of a peer navigation program for AYA should consider the matching characteristics and multidimensional support needs of AYA.

SUBMITTER: Bender JL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8870696 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Peer Support Needs and Preferences for Digital Peer Navigation among Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.

Bender Jacqueline L JL Puri Natasha N Salih Sarah S D'Agostino Norma M NM Tsimicalis Argerie A Howard A Fuchsia AF Garland Sheila N SN Chalifour Karine K Drake Emily K EK Marrato Anthony A McKean Nikki L NL Gupta Abha A AA

Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) 20220216 2

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer desire peer support and require support programs that address their unique needs. This study investigated the need for, and barriers to, peer support and preferences for digital peer navigation among AYA. A cross-sectional survey was administered to AYA, diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15-39, at a cancer center and through social media. Descriptive summary statistics were calculated. Participants (<i>n</i> = 436) were on average 31.2 years ...[more]

PMID: 35200598

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Use of novel information and communication technologies are frequently discussed as promising tools to prevent and treat overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE:This survey aims to describe the preferences, motives, and needs of children and adolescents regarding nutrition and digital games. METHODS:We conducted a survey in 6 secondary schools in the southern region of Germany using a 43-item questionnaire. Questions referred to preferences, motives, and needs of children and adolescents regarding nutrition and digital games. In addition, knowledge regarding nutrition was assessed with 4 questions. We collected self-reported sociodemographic and anthropometric data. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. RESULTS:In total, 293 children and adolescents participated in the study, with ages 12-18 years (137 girls, 46.8%), weight 30.0-120.0 (mean 60.2 [SD 13.2]) kg, and height 1.4-2.0 (mean 1.7 [SD 0.1]) m. A total of 5.5% (16/290) correctly answered the 4 questions regarding nutrition knowledge. Study participants acquired digital nutritional information primarily from the internet (166/291, 57.0%) and television (97/291, 33.3%), while school education (161/291, 55.3%) and parents or other adults (209/291, 71.8%) were the most relevant nondigital information sources. Most participants (242/283, 85.5%) reported that they regularly play digital games. More than half (144/236, 61.0%) stated that they play digital games on a daily basis on their smartphones or tablets, and almost 70% (151/282, 66.5%) reported playing digital games for ?30 minutes without any interruption. One-half of respondents (144/280, 51.4%) also stated that they were interested in receiving information about nutrition while playing digital games. CONCLUSIONS:This survey suggests that nutrition knowledge in children and adolescents might be deficient. Most children and adolescents play digital games and express interest in acquiring nutritional information during digital gameplay. A digital game with a focus on sound nutrition could be a potential educational tool for imparting nutrition knowledge and promoting healthier nutrition behaviors in children and adolescents.

Project description:BackgroundDespite a recent proliferation in web-based and digital resources that are designed to assist users in finding appropriate mental health treatment and supportive services, it can be overwhelming, confusing, and difficult for an individual or family member to access and use an appropriate navigation tool. As digital resources are increasingly sought after, there is an urgent need for a clearer understanding of digital navigation tools in order to help link individuals with the tool that is best suited to their needs.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the needs of individuals seeking mental health treatment and supportive services and to quantify their experiences and satisfaction with available digital navigation tools.MethodsA survey was offered via an email newsletter and social media posting throughout the extended membership of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which includes both individuals with a mental health condition and their family members and support networks. A 13-item anonymous survey, which consisted of multiple-choice and open response options, was developed to measure participants' past use of and experiences with web-based, mobile, and phone-based navigation tools. The survey was available from April 9 through May 21, 2020.ResultsA total of 478 respondents completed the survey; the majority of respondents were female (397/478, 83.1%) and aged ≥35 years (411/478, 86%). Younger respondents were more likely to report seeking mental health services for themselves, while older respondents were more likely to be searching for such services on behalf of a family member. The majority of respondents seeking such services on behalf of a family member (113/194, 58.2%) required a combination of mental health treatment and supportive services. Furthermore, two-thirds of respondents (322/478, 67.4%) used a navigation tool to find treatment or services. The majority of respondents who provided feedback about their experiences with navigation tools (224/280, 80%) reported difficulties, with data availability and accuracy being the most commonly reported issues.ConclusionsThe survey results suggest that issues with data availability and accuracy in available navigation tools remain a major barrier for locating timely and appropriate mental health treatment and supportive services within the population of individuals seeking such services. Particularly for individuals seeking care on behalf of a family member, improving the accuracy of and users' experiences with navigation tools could have a major impact on effectively connecting people to treatment and support services.

Dataset Information

Peer Support Needs and Preferences for Digital Peer Navigation among Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.

Publications

Peer Support Needs and Preferences for Digital Peer Navigation among Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.

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