Cancer and physical activity

Our work on Cancer and Physical Activity involves 3 interconnected projects. Macmillan Cancer Support funded evidence reviews of the impact of lifestyle behaviours on the lives of people living with and beyond cancer. Cancer Research UK (CRUK) have awarded a seed funding grant for a feasibility study to design and develop innovative interactive technology suitable for installation at public bus stops, to educate people about physical activity and cancer prevention, and engage them in physical activity. Through the Macmillan / Imperial College Health Trust Living with and Beyond Cancer sub-group we are contributing to primary research to support service delivery in cancer survivorship.

The Macmillan evidence reviews update and improve the evidence base for the impact of lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco use, consumption of alcohol) on the health and wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer and support Macmillan’s strategic and service development in the area. The Cancer Research UK seed funding is awarded to an innovative study to design and develop innovative interactive technology suitable for installation at public bus stops, to educate people about physical activity and cancer prevention, and engage them in physical activity. The work of the Macmillan / Imperial College Health Trust Living with and Beyond Cancer (LWBC) sub-group includes an evidence review on conceptualising LWBC in service delivery and qualitative interviews with cancer survivors to bring the voices of those LWBC to the forefront of service delivery design and implementation.

Impact statement

Our work on cancer and physical activity informs policy and decision making about Macmillan’s and Macmillan/ICHT strategic plans for service delivery that might involve physical activity for those LWBC. We identify, collate and synthesise existing evidence as well as harnesses the experiences of those LWBC to ensure service delivery is tailored to their needs.

Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project

Dr Neil OConnell - Neil is a Reader in the Physiotherapy Division of the Department of Health Sciences. He divides his time between teaching and research and previously worked as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist. Neil's research interests focus on the evidence based management of persistent pain and he has published extensively in this area. He also leads and teaches modules on clinical research methods and evidence based practice for pre- and post-graduate clinicians. Neil was the Co-ordinating editor for the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (PaPaS) group from 2020-23 and is a member of Cochrane's central editorial board. He was a member of the Guideline Development Group for the UK's National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2016 clinical guideline on the management of low back pain and sciatica and was a specialist committee member for the NICE Quality Standard on that topic. Neil is the current Chair of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Methods, Evidence Synthesis and Implementation Special Interest Group (MESIGIG).

Professor Louise Mansfield - Career History Louise Mansfield is Professor of Sport, Health and Social Sciences and Research Lead for Welfare, Health and Wellbeing in the Institute of Environment, Health and Societies.  Her research focuses on the relationship between sport, physical activity and public health and wellbeing. She is interested in partnership and community approaches in sport and physical activity and issues of health, wellbeing, inequality and diversity. She has led research projects for the Department of Health, Youth Sport Trust, sportscotland, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, Macmillan Cancer Support, Public Health England and Sport England. She sits on the editorial boards for Leisure Studies, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health and the International Review for the Sociology of Sport and is Managing Editor of Annals of Leisure Research. Louise is known for  is known for developing evidence to inform policy and practice.

Project last modified 21/11/2023