About the program
YACS HEAL is a free (no-fee to participate) mobile health research study that provides young adult cancer survivors (YACS) with tools and strategies to increase healthy eating and physical activity habits.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are looking for young adult cancer survivors ages 18-39 who are interested in using digital tools to help them develop healthier eating and activity habits.
The 3-month program is delivered using a smartphone app, digital health tools, and text messages. It also provides an opportunity to participate in important research to help us understand more about ways to help YACS lead healthier lifestyles.
If you enroll, you will be one of approximately 80 young adult cancer survivors participating in the study and contributing to this research.
Recruitment for this study is now closed.
What will I do in the program?
The YACS HEAL program uses digital tools to help young adult cancer survivors develop healthier diet and physical activity habits by making daily lifestyle changes. You will use an app and a simplified approach to track your foods to help you make positive changes in your eating, and an activity tracker to help increase your physical activity.
All participants will receive a kickoff video chat session with a health coach, a 12-week behavior change program delivered through the study smartphone app which will include lessons, resources, personalized feedback, tools to help them keep track of their diet and physical activity, and text messages to encourage healthy habits.
You will be asked to complete online questionnaires and other remote measurements such as weighing on their own scale at home, at the start of the study, after 6 weeks, and after 3 months.
Most importantly, you will learn strategies that will help you promote a healthier lifestyle for today and the future.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle after cancer treatment may benefit cancer survivors and improve physical functioning, quality of life, and fatigue. This program provides information and strategies to help you become more physically active and eat a healthy diet.
You will receive a Fitbit activity tracker (valued at $100) to track your activity and diet.
Throughout the program, you may benefit by receiving:
Professional expertise (exercise physiologists, health educators, nutritionists, psychologists) and information to help you adopt strategies to improve health behaviors.
Personalized feedback on your physical activity and eating patterns
This information is provided to you free of charge as a participant in YACS HEAL. You may also receive up to $25 for completing all study questionnaires and measurements. The entire study can be completed online.
By participating in this study, you will be contributing to the development of programs for other YACS who may struggle with increasing physical activity and improving their diet after cancer.
CONTACT US
If you would like to learn more about the YACS HEAL study, please contact us at (919) 480-8454 or email yacsheal@unc.edu.
This study has been reviewed by the IRB (Study #22-2340). If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research subject, or if you would like to obtain information or offer input, you may contact the Institutional Review Board at 919-966-3113 or by email to IRB_subjects@unc.edu.