Promoting social eating for people living with head and neck cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Plan, develop and feasibility test an intervention that promotes social eating for people living with and beyond head and neck cancer and their family.
IRAS ID
286283
Contact name
Cherith Semple
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
People who have treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) can have serious and long-term functional side effects. Long term challenges may include difficulties breathing, communicating, eating and drinking. Eating and drinking are much more than a physical activity to sustain nutrition and health. It provides the opportunity for social interactions with friends, family and colleagues. Unfortunately for people with HNC, being able to eat and drink socially with others becomes a challenge. This has an impact on their relationships, self-esteem and overall quality of life.
The literature identifies the losses associated with social eating and drinking for people with HNC and their families. There are limited resources available that help people with HNC, their families and healthcare professionals cope with social eating and drinking challenges.
This study aims to plan, develop and feasibility test an intervention that enables social eating for people living with and beyond head and neck cancer (HNC) and their family. The design of this study is based on Yardley et al’s (2015) Person-based approach (PBA) to intervention design.
Phase 1 will conduct focus groups or online 1-1 qualitative interviews with patients, family members and healthcare professionals about their experience of social eating and drinking through their experience of HNC. The data from phase 1, alongside existing literature, will aid the development of a resource on social eating and drinking for people who have had treatment for HNC.
Phase 2 will be further 1-1 think-aloud interviews, either face to face or online, to ascertain thoughts and opinions on the resource that is being developed. This will take an iterative approach, where the resource is refined by the feedback from each interview.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
20/WA/0253
Date of REC Opinion
18 Sep 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion