Browsing by Author "Ellis, Kelsey"

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    Exploring feasibility, perceptions of acceptability, and potential benefits of an 8-week yoga intervention delivered by videoconference for young adults affected by cancer: a single-arm hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot study
    (2023-03-10) Wurz, Amanda; McLaughlin, Emma; Hughes, Kimberly; Ellis, Kelsey; Chen, Amy; Cowley, Lauren; Molina, Heather; Duchek, Delaney; Eisele, Maximilian; Culos-Reed, S. N.
    Abstract Background Young adults affected by cancer face physical and psychological challenges and desire online supportive care. Yoga can be delivered online and may improve physical and psychological outcomes. Yet, yoga has rarely been studied with young adults affected by cancer. To address this, an 8-week yoga intervention was developed, and a pilot study was deemed necessary to explore feasibility, acceptability, implementation, and potential benefits. Methods A mixed-methods, single-arm hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot study evaluating the yoga intervention was conducted. Feasibility was assessed by tracking enrollment, retention, attendance, completeness of data, and adverse events. Acceptability was explored through interviews. Implementation metrics included training time, delivery resources, and fidelity. Potential effectiveness was evaluated by exploring changes in physical (i.e., balance, flexibility, range of motion, functional mobility) and psychological (i.e., quality of life, fatigue, resilience, posttraumatic growth, body image, mindfulness, perceived stress) outcomes at pre- (week 0), post- (week 8), and follow-up (week 16) time points. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance, and content analysis. Results Thirty young adults participated in this study (recruitment rate = 33%). Retention to study procedures was 70%, and attendance ranged from 38 to 100%. There were little missing data (< 5%) and no adverse events. Though most participants were satisfied with the yoga intervention, recommendations for improvement were shared. Sixty study-specific training hours and > 240 delivery and assessment hours were accrued and fidelity was high. Functional mobility, flexibility, quality of life (energy/fatigue, social well-being), body image (appearance evaluation), mindfulness (non-reactivity), and perceived stress improved significantly over time (all p< 0.050; $$\eta_{p}{}^{2}s=0.124-0.292$$ η p 2 s = 0.124 - 0.292 ). No other significant changes were observed (all p> 0.050;  $$\eta_{p}{}^{2}s=0.005-0.115$$ η p 2 s = 0.005 - 0.115 ). Conclusions The yoga intervention may confer physical and psychological benefits, though intervention and study-specific modifications are required to improve feasibility and acceptability. Requiring study participation and providing greater scheduling flexibility could enhance recruitment and retention. Increasing the frequency of classes offered each week and offering more opportunities for participant interaction could improve satisfaction. This study highlights the value of doing pilot work and provides data that has directly informed intervention and study modifications. Findings could also be used by others offering yoga or supportive care by videoconference to young adults affected by cancer. Trial registration Not available—not registered
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    Researcher and patient experiences of co-presenting research to people living with systemic sclerosis at a patient conference: content analysis of interviews
    (2024-01-27) Wurz, Amanda; Ellis, Kelsey; Nordlund, Julia; Carrier, Marie-Eve; Cook, Vanessa; Gietzen, Amy; Adams, Claire; Nassar, Elsa-Lynn; Rice, Danielle B.; Fortune, Catherine; Guillot, Genevieve; Mieszczak, Tracy; Richard, Michelle; Sauve, Maureen; Thombs, Brett D.
    Abstract Background Patient engagement in research is important to ensure research questions address problems important to patients, that research is designed in a way that can effectively answer those questions, and that findings are applicable, relevant, and credible. Yet, patients are rarely involved in the dissemination stage of research. This study explored one way to engage patients in dissemination, through co-presenting research. Methods Semi-structured, one-on-one, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with researchers and patients who co-presented research at one patient conference (the 2022 Canadian National Scleroderma Conference) in Canada. A pragmatic orientation was adopted, and following verbatim transcription, data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results Of 8 researchers who were paired with 7 patients, 5 researchers (mean age = 28 years, SD = 3.6 years) and 5 patients (mean age = 45 years, SD = 14.2 years) participated. Researcher and patient perspectives about their experiences co-presenting and how to improve the experience were captured across 4 main categories: (1) Reasons for accepting the invitation to co-present; (2) Degree that co-presenting expectations were met; (3) The process of co-presenting; and (4) Lessons learned: recommendations for co-presenting. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that the co-presenting experience was a rewarding and enjoyable way to tailor research dissemination to patients. We identified a patient-centred approach and meaningful and prolonged patient engagement as essential elements underlying co-presenting success.
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    Yoga for Children and Adolescents Affected by Cancer or Blood Disease
    (2021-07-12) Ellis, Kelsey; Culos-Reed, Nicole; Sung, Lillian; Schulte, Fiona; Wurz, Amanda
    Children and adolescents (≤18 years of age) affected by cancer or blood disease face significant negative effects due to their disease and treatments. Yoga is one strategy that has been highlighted as safe, feasible, and potentially beneficial in experimental studies for this population. However, significant gaps and limitations exist in the current evidence and practice. First, efforts to collate a growing body of experimental evidence reporting on the effects of yoga are scarce, leaving the breadth of available evidence, the possible effects of yoga, and gaps and limitations in the evidence unknown. Second, despite the potential benefits of yoga, there are relatively few programs being delivered. Moving evidence to practice may be fostered by gathering feedback from key stakeholders, including the yoga instructors - who play a critical role in the safe and effective delivery of these programs. Therefore, the studies comprising this thesis sought to lay a foundation for future research and practice by summarizing the evidence to date reporting on the effects of yoga, and exploring yoga instructors’ lived experiences preparing for and facilitating yoga, for children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease. First, a systematic review was conducted wherein eight electronic databases and one trial registry were searched for experimental articles reporting on the effects of yoga for children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease. Results were summarized narratively. Across the eleven included studies, wide variability in the literature exists, and while yoga may promote benefits, several limitations in the current evidence were identified. Second, an interpretive description study was conducted via semi-structured interviews with fourteen yoga instructors who had experience facilitating yoga for this population. Data were analyzed using principles of interpretive description and thematic analysis. Findings from this interpretive description study highlight limitations in the yoga instructor training, and the necessity of prioritizing safe, effective, and accessible yoga delivery. Collectively, the studies in this thesis offer important foundational research and practical information, support the continued study and use of yoga as a supportive care resource for children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease.