About

Informal cancer caregivers have been shown to experience several physical, emotional, and social consequences leading to a reduced quality of life, an increased risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduced capacity to care for their loved ones. Exercise appears to be a potent intervention to improve their physical and emotional well-being but research in this area is lacking.

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The Caring for Caregivers Study has two components. The first part seeks to better understand informal cancer caregivers’ needs and preferences for exercise programs and their views about participating in exercise programs with their care recipients. This information will inform the design of the second part: a study investigating the effects of a dyadic exercise program (people living with cancer and caregivers exercising together) on the health and well-being of both caregivers and people living with cancer.

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We would like to hear from adult caregivers from across the country who provide unpaid care for adults living with cancer to learn about their health and well-being, the type and amount of caregiving they provide, and to explore their need for, and interest in, health-supporting exercise programs. Participation involves completion of a questionnaire and an optional follow-up interview. We are seeking participants to complete the questionnaire until the end of March 2022 and optional follow-up interviews will take place in April.

Please contact the study’s lead investigator, Tom Christensen, for more information or to participate: Thomas.Christensen@dal.ca