Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Mob’s Way to Wellness- Yarning to co-design cancer prevention and wellness after cancer programs with Aboriginal communities: A protocol (126506)

Jess Morris 1 , Kai Wheeler 2 , Rona Macniven 3 , Tristram Morris 1 , Kate A Bolam 4 5 6 7
  1. Strong Spirit Aboriginal Services, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
  2. School of Human Movement Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
  6. University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
  7. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne , Victoria, Australia

Purpose

The aim of the Mob’s Way to Wellness project is to co-design, develop and deliver two accessible and culturally appropriate cancer prevention and cancer survivorship programs, based on evidence-based health strategies and community input to improve the health and cancer outcomes for First Nations adults.

 

Sample and setting

Following the initial Yarning phase, 60 Aboriginal adults without cancer will be recruited for the prevention program and 30 Aboriginal adults affected by cancer (either directly or as a carer) will be recruited for the wellness after a cancer diagnosis program.  Participants will be recruited from the Mid North Coast regions of Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Kempsey, traditionally inhabited by the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Birpai, and Nganyaywana peoples. ​

 

Procedures

Phase 1 co-design process will include Yarning sessions led by Aboriginal community and researchers to ensure the programs are culturally responsive to the needs of the community. Phase 2 will be informed by phase 1 and include the development, implementation and evaluation of the two community-led programs 1) Cancer prevention- Move, Thrive, Prevent and 2) Wellness after a cancer diagnosis- Journey Together, Move Together. Each program will be 10-weeks in duration and include information sharing and physical activities. Yarning will be used to explore the participants' experiences of the programs. Participants will also be asked to complete the What Matters to Adults Questionnaire, physical activity questionnaire prior to and following the programs, and a process evaluation will be conducted.

 

Results

N/A

 

Clinical implications

By learning through deep listening about what is important to Aboriginal communities and then using this knowledge to co-develop these programs, we aim to empower and equip Aboriginal people with the knowledge and tools to make informed health decisions to reduce their cancer risk and live well after a cancer diagnosis.