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Purpose: Physical activity has been shown to decline over the course of chemotherapy in breast cancer survivors; yet it may reduce treatment-related side effects and emerging evidence indicates it may improve disease outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may be an effective, scalable strategy to increase physical activity during treatment. However, little is known about breast cancer patients' interests and preferences for these interventions. It is important to understand patients' interests and preferences prior to development of mHealth physical activity interventions to increase their relevance and efficacy.Methods: Breast cancer survivors (n = 30) participated in a semi-structured phone interview and were asked about barriers and facilitators to physical activity during chemotherapy as well as their preferences on a range of potential mHealth intervention features. Transcribed interviews were coded and key themes were analyzed using an iterative, inductive approach.Results: Five key themes were extracted from the interviews: (1) need for education about physical activity during chemotherapy; (2) treatment side effects inhibit physical activity; (3) a structured, home-based, tech-supported program with in-person elements is most feasible; (4) need for a personalized, highly tailored intervention; and (5) importance of social support from other breast cancer survivors, friends, and family.Conclusions: Breast cancer survivors are interested in mHealth physical activity interventions during chemotherapy, but preferences for intervention content and delivery varied. Future work should engage patients and survivors in intervention development and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may help us better understand biopsychosocial determinants and outcomes of physical activity during chemotherapy, but may be burdensome for patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using EMA to assess activity, symptoms, and motivation among early-stage breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Methods: Women were instructed to wear an accelerometer 24/7 (hip during day and wrist overnight). Text message prompts were sent 4 times/day concerning patient-reported symptoms and motivational factors for 10 consecutive days (3 days pre-, day of, and 6 days post-chemotherapy dose). These measures occurred at the beginning, middle, and end of a full course of chemotherapy. At study conclusion, participants reported on perceived study acceptability, burden, and reactivity.Results: Of the 75 women who consented to participate, 63 (84%) completed all 3 assessment time points. Participants responded to 86% of total text prompts and had valid accelerometer data on 82% of study days. Compliance was similar across all time points. The majority (78%) rated their study experience as positive; 100% were confident in their ability to use study technology. Reactivity varied with 27% indicating answering symptom questions did not affect how they felt and 44% and 68% indicated answering questions and wearing the accelerometer, respectively, made them want to increase activity.Conclusions: Findings indicate EMA methods are feasible for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. EMA may help us better understand the biopsychosocial processes underlying breast cancer patients' activity in the context of daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sedentary behavior is associated with poor health outcomes including obesity, lower quality of life, and mortality in breast cancer survivors. This study sought to identify motivational, demographic, and disease characteristics of breast cancer survivors who engage in greater amounts of sedentary behavior.Methods: Multivariate linear regression models estimated associations between demographic, disease, and health characteristics with reported sitting in breast cancer survivors (n = 279; Mage = 60.7 (± 9.7) years). Regression models estimated associations between motivational factors and reported sitting adjusted for demographic and disease and health covariates.Results: Working at least part-time and marital status were associated various sitting domains including weekday and non-leisure sitting. Higher BMI was associated with more average daily, weekend, and weekday sitting. High income was additionally associated with less non-leisure sitting. The belief that sedentary behavior is bad for health, physical function, and self-evaluative OE, and lifestyle self-efficacy were associated with multiple sitting domains in both univariate and covariate-adjusted models.Conclusions: Future work should examine the relationships between motivational, demographic, and disease predictors and objectively measured sedentary behavior over time and across different sedentary behavior domains. Understanding activity changes during and after treatment is needed to identify intervention targets and develop effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the benefits of physical activity for breast cancer survivors, the majority remain insufficiently active. Mobile health (mHealth) physical activity interventions may be a more scalable strategy to increase activity among survivors. However, little is known about their preferences for mHealth intervention features. This study explored survivors' preferences for these features.Methods: Survivors (N = 96; Mage = 55.8 (SD = 10.2)) self-reported demographic and disease characteristics, physical activity. A subset (n = 28) completed a semi-structured phone interview. Transcribed interviews were evaluated using a thematic content analysis approach and consensus review. Following interviews, the full sample self-reported interests and preferences for intervention features via online questionnaires. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: Five themes emerged from interview data: (1) importance of relevance to breast cancer survivors; (2) easy to use; (3) integration with wearable activity trackers; (4) provide sense of accomplishment; and (5) variability in desired level of structure and personalization. The highest ranked intervention features were: daily and weekly progress feedback (87.5%), newsfeed (86.6%), activity challenges (81.3%), and scheduling tool (79.2%). Survivors were interested in receiving progress feedback (80.2%) and motivational (78.1%) and reminder (75.0%) messages.Conclusions: Breast cancer survivors are interested in mHealth physical activity promotion interventions, but preferences varied around themes of relevance, ease of use, and enhancing personal motivation.Implications For Cancer Survivors: Engaging survivors in developing and implementing remotely delivered mHealth activity promotion interventions may enhance their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 2009, the Kien Giang coast, Vietnam, had experienced significant coastal erosion and mangrove degradation. Recent mitigation strategies, developed through policies, plans and mangrove planting programs have not been successful, in part because the causes of coastal erosion were not adequately identified. This paper investigates the relationship between human activities and coastal erosion in Kien Giang province. This study used mixed methods to understand the causes of coastal erosion with an emphasis on human activities. In this investigation, local communities were involved as co-investigators to explore the causes of coastal erosion in Kien Giang province. While natural factors (adverse effects of climate change and sea level rise) have been widely reported as main causes of coastal erosion, human activities initially were not recognised by local communities as significant contributors to coastal erosion and mangrove degradation. Human activities such as poor aquaculture pond construction, poor construction of new and upgraded sections of the sea dyke system, mangrove afforestation using only a single species, mangrove cutting for commercial and domestic uses, and construction of local boating channels, and the interaction of anthropogenic activities and physical processes are significant contributors to erosion. The study resulted in the awareness of the impact of community activities on the coast being improved. Knowledge gaps and necessary policy changes are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation is experiencing increasing recognition as an indispensable component of effective communication and engagement between resource users and managers in natural resource planning and management. To bridge a gap between communication, information and participation, natural resource management agencies have increasingly used the visual capability of spatial decision support tools, such as geographic information systems. Nevertheless, both participation and the use of spatial technologies have been promoted without much consideration of how particular stakeholder groups participate and use existing decision support tools. This paper analyses the current state of public participation and the extent to which spatial data and geographic information tools are used by stakeholder groups to facilitate access to information and to support communication in water quality management on the Great Barrier Reef coast. Data were collected via document analysis, participant observation at stakeholders' meeting, face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Qualitative data were coded for themes using coding analysis processes, whereas quantitative data from the surveys were analysed using standard exploratory and descriptive statistical techniques. Results reveal that reliance on the natural resource management officer, established networks and personal relationships, and provision of property-scale spatial information are important aspects of a meaningful public participation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advocates the use of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory as a framework to analyse resilience at diverse scales. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory can be employed to (a) benchmark social resilience, (b) target the priority interventions required and (c) measure progress arising from these interventions to enhance resilience to natural disasters. First, the paper explores resilience to natural disasters in the context of climatic change as building resilience is seen as a way to mitigate impacts of natural disasters. Second, concepts of resilience are systematically examined and documented, outlining resilience as a trait and resilience as a process. Third, issues arising in relation to the measurement of resilience are discussed. Fourth, Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory is described and proffered to model and assess resilience at different scales. Fifth, studies are described which have supported the use of the bioecological systems theory for the study of resilience. Sixth, an example of the use of Bronfenbrenner's theory is offered and the paper concludes with suggestions for future research using Bronfenbrenner's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]