Inequities in childhood cancer research: A scoping review.

An integral part of understanding and then designing programs to reduce childhood cancer inequities includes adequate representation of people with cancer in research, including children. A scoping review was carried out to understand how cancer research is oriented toward inequities and to identify who has participated in childhood qualitative cancer research. A systematic search identified 119 qualitative studies that met inclusion criteria, with most studies taking place in high-income countries (n=84). Overall, data were lacking on social determinants of health at multiple levels-structural, household, child, and guardian. Only 29 studies reported on race and/or ethnicity, with the majority of those including predominantly or all white children. Six articles included socioeconomic information, and across most articles, attention was absent to the financial ramifications of cancer care. Limited reporting of sociodemographics highlights a broader issue of neglecting key demographics and social factors that contribute to inequities.

The adult in the room: The push and pull of parental involvement in research with children.

Parental involvement in research where children are the primary study participants is frequent but under-analyzed. To understand such dynamics in research with children, we examined children's (ages 8-14) interactions with parents who came in and out of view during our virtual interviews in our study, Photographing Health by Rural Adolescents in the MidwEst (PHRAME). We identified the pull and push of this adult involvement-a choreography in which children were active participants. Our analysis demonstrates that such interactions provide important data about how children navigated power dynamics, and also offer integral insights on how they were doing health and care.

The role of sport participation on exercise self-efficacy, psychological need satisfaction, and resilience among college freshmen.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between high school sport participation among university students and whether previous sports participation was associated with current levels of exercise-self efficacy, resilience, and psychological need satisfaction physical activity behaviors. Participants: College freshmen (n = 152) in the United States responded to an electronic survey sent out by their university. Methods: Participants completed a set of questionnaires assessing resilience, psychological need satisfaction in exercise, self-efficacy, and current PA. Results: Analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, independent samples t-tests, and ordinary least squares regression modeling were used. Total PA and having met moderate PA guidelines were both associated with exercise SE and PNSE. HS GPA, total PA, and being a college athlete were associated with both resilience and exercise SE. Conclusions: Sport participation may serve as an effective method for students to develop exercise SE, resilience, and PNSE. The development of these skills may support lifelong PA behaviors.

Perceptions of COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies between Rural and Non-Rural Adults in the US: How Public Health Nurses Can Fill the Gap.

The purpose of this study was to capture the perceptions of COVID-19 mitigations' efficacy of rural and non-rural participants, using the health belief model (HBM), as well as to describe where public health nursing may be able to fill behavior gaps in rural communities. Rural and non-rural participants completed electronic surveys. Surveys collected demographic information and perceptions of various mitigation strategies' effectiveness. Rurality was significantly associated with perceptions of the effectiveness of public health mitigation strategies including wearing facemasks, limiting time indoors, avoiding gatherings, non-essential business closure, and staying home. Our findings suggest people in rural areas perceive mitigations to be effective. Other researchers have consistently shown rural residents are least likely to partake in the same mitigations. Rural public health nurses on the front line serve as the key to closing the aforementioned gap. Understanding where their community's perceptions lie is pivotal in creating educational programs to continue mitigation efforts as we embark on the second year of this pandemic.

Perspectives of cancer prevention and control resources from stakeholders in rural southern Illinois.

PURPOSE: Rural residents have a higher cancer burden than urban residents, which is likely related to multiple socioecological factors. This study sought to investigate the perspectives of a diverse set of rural stakeholders regarding access to cancer prevention and control resources in rural southern Illinois. METHODS: Stakeholders were recruited from counties in southern Illinois and included residents (cancer survivors or caregivers), leaders of community-based organizations with health-related missions, and health care providers. Individual interviews and focus groups assessed recommended cancer prevention, control, and treatment resources; helpfulness of regional resources; and needed resources. The research team used an iterative approach to thematic analysis wherein codes were derived inductively and refined repeatedly to reveal overarching themes. FINDINGS: Forty-four stakeholders reported challenges to health care access (eg, travel distance, financial burdens, and poor quality of care) and limited access to supportive care services (lack of caregiver support and "spotty" area resources). To mitigate these barriers, local residents used a combination of individual (self-reliance and adaptive measures) and organizational (patient navigation and financial services) approaches. Finally, stakeholders reported multiple forms of cancer control and prevention communication, including formal discussions with health care providers and various types of informal social support (eg, friends and family). CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders experienced barriers to cancer prevention and control often mitigated by a reliance on personal adaptations, nonclinical organizational supports, and informal support systems. While resources remain minimal in southern Illinois, researchers and practitioners must make efforts to leverage existing community organizations and social networks to improve cancer outcomes in this region.

A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Physical Activity during COVID-19 in a Sample of Rural and Non-Rural Participants in the US.

Physical activity (PA) pre-COVID-19 was lower in rural areas compared to non-rural areas. The purpose of this study was to determine COVID-19's impact on PA in rural and non-rural residents. A cross-sectional study consisting of a convenience sample of 278 participants (50% rural, 50% non-rural) from 25 states completed an online survey describing their PA behaviors and perceptions during COVID-19. The global physical activity questionnaire was used to determine PA in various domains and summed to determine if the participant met the PA guidelines. Rural participants had a significantly higher body mass index, lower income, and a lower educational attainment. Conversely, non-rural participants reported more barriers to PA. There was no difference in the perception of COVID-19's impact on PA, specifically; however, rural participants were significantly less likely to meet cardiorespiratory PA recommendations compared to non-rural participants. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the continued disparity in PA between rural and non-rural residents, despite the supposition of COVID-19 being less impactful in rural areas due to sparse populations. Efforts should be pursued to close the PA gap between rural and non-rural residents.

Looking beyond the Lamppost: Population-Level Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer.

Although innovative and impactful interventions are necessary for the primary prevention of breast cancer, the factors influencing program adoption, implementation, and sustainment are key, yet remain poorly understood. Insufficient attention has been paid to the primary prevention of breast cancer in state and national cancer plans, limiting the impact of evidence-based interventions on population health. This commentary highlights the state of primary prevention of breast cancer and gaps in the current literature. As a way to enhance the reach and adoption of cancer prevention policies and programs, the utility of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science is highlighted. Examples of how D&I could be applied to study policies and programs for chronic disease prevention are described, in addition to needs for future research. Through application of D&I science and a strong focus on health equity, a clearer understanding of contextual factors influencing the success of prevention programs will be achieved, ultimately impacting population health.