Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden
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The Ohio State University / OhioLINK
2019
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555500843228716 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu15555008432287162021-08-03T07:10:29Z Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden Carpenter, Kaleigh M. Nutrition Treatment of cancer results in both acute and late effects, the burden of which is often shared with caregivers. These caregivers are typically uncompensated, and the care they provide involves significant amounts of time and energy, and may be physically, emotionally, socially, and/or financially challenging. Thus, the complex and demanding role of cancer caregiving is often associated with psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological stressors. A paucity of data exists regarding this understudied and overlooked population, and foundational work is warranted to fully characterize the unique experiences and perceptions of these individuals. The primary objective of this study was to identify perceived outcomes and changes in quality of life among cancer caregivers harvesting at an urban garden. Cancer caregivers who actively harvested at an urban garden during the 2018 growing season were recruited via secure email. Participants completed a self-administered demographics survey. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted using an open-ended question guide to elicit the perceptions of caregivers. Participant responses were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using conventional content analysis in NVivo qualitative analysis software to identify overarching themes and subthemes. Of the nine caregivers who completed interviews, four (44%) were male and five (56%) were female with 78% spouses (n=7) of cancer survivors. Caregivers harvested an average of nine times throughout the June through September harvesting season. Caregiver responses resulted in identification of four overarching themes: (1) improved physical and mental health, (2) improved dietary patterns, (3) improved social support, and (4) maintenance of positive behaviors. Caregivers reported improved quality time with their survivor, benefits of consistent access to fresh garden produce, value in supplemental resources (e.g., recipes and education) from dietetics student volunteers, specific benefits related to enhanced social interactions, and enhanced support for maintaining behaviors they had previously tried to implement for themselves and their survivors. These data indicate harvesting at an urban community garden provided these individuals with support to overcome challenges commonly associated with cancer caregiving. Moreover, harvesting served as a mechanism by which this high-risk cohort could maintain lifestyle patterns commonly recommended in this population but often considered challenging to sustain. These results will inform future targeted interventions designed to decrease caregiving burden, encourage effective coping strategies, and improve physical and mental health, marital-family relationships, and social well-being in this high-risk cohort. 2019-06-17 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555500843228716 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555500843228716 restricted--full text unavailable until 2024-05-06 This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
| collection |
NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Nutrition |
| spellingShingle |
Nutrition Carpenter, Kaleigh M. Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| author |
Carpenter, Kaleigh M. |
| author_facet |
Carpenter, Kaleigh M. |
| author_sort |
Carpenter, Kaleigh M. |
| title |
Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| title_short |
Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| title_full |
Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| title_fullStr |
Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden |
| title_sort |
health perceptions of cancer caregivers harvesting at an urban garden |
| publisher |
The Ohio State University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2019 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555500843228716 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT carpenterkaleighm healthperceptionsofcancercaregiversharvestingatanurbangarden |
| _version_ |
1719455473455857664 |