福利姬

Thanks to advances in cancer treatment, more people are surviving the disease. Cancer and its treatments often lead to significant physical and psychological burdens, reducing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) both during and long after treatment. Rehabilitation interventions aimed at maintaining or improving HRQoL are therefore essential throughout the cancer trajectory.

With adaptation to close and person-centered care, there is a need for more flexible rehabilitation solutions that work in the everyday life of patients. Yoga has been shown to improve both physical and mental wellbeing among people treated for cancer. Digital health solutions enable home-based rehabilitation, reducing barriers such as infections risk and fatigue barriers during treatment.

Mobile health apps have emerged as promising tools to support self-management and rehabilitation, yet adherence remains a major challenge. In a previous project, we studied patients with cancer participating in medical yoga in groups, both on-line and on site, combined with usage of a yoga app. We observed that compliance was lower for the app usage than for the scheduled group exercises. Digital interventions that explicitly incorporate behaviour change techniques (BCTs)鈥攕uch as rewards, prompts/cues, goal-setting, self-monitoring of behaviour, feedback on behaviour, and social support鈥攖end to report better engagement and adherence.

In this project, we will develop a gamified medical yoga intervention through co-design with patients with cancer and key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with user needs and requirements. We will then assess the feasibility and usability of the app among patients undergoing cancer treatment. The aim is to develop digital support that is perceived as meaningful, usable, and adapted to the needs and conditions of the patients, making it possible for more patients to take part in rehabilitation at home.

Older adults living with chronic conditions experience sexual health challenges that negatively affect their well being, yet sexual health remains largely unaddressed in primary care. Despite a strong need for information (expressed by 84 % of the older adults) only 7 % report receiving any sexual health guidance from healthcare professionals. Barriers include limited training, time constraints, lack of structured tools, and societal assumptions that overlook sexual health. To address this gap, this project aims to co design and pilot a digital toolkit that supports healthcare professionals and older adults in initiating sexual health conversations. Using a co design approach together with stakeholders (older adults, clinicians, researchers, and regional partners) we will collaboratively develop a user friendly digital solution featuring tailored content for both older adults and healthcare professionals.

The toolkit will be pilot tested to evaluate its usability, acceptability, and preliminary impact on the prevalence of sexual health discussions. Mixed methods data collection will include surveys, focus groups, administrative records, and usage analytics. Quantitative and qualitative analyses, followed by data triangulation, will guide refinement of the toolkit. Expected outcomes include a validated prototype, insights into barriers and facilitators of integrating sensitive health topics into routine care, and a finalized intervention ready for large scale testing. Ultimately, the project seeks to normalize sexual health conversations in healthcare and improve the well being of older adults with chronic conditions.

TeenFit is a web-based e-Health platform with the aim to aid access to evidence-based apps for physical activity among youths. The apps that will be included on the homepage have been identified through systematic review of available apps for physical activity among youths that are available for download at Google Play. The apps that have been identified (n = 140) have been assessed by a cross-disciplinary group of researchers and clinicians regarding their quality, with regards to how they have been developed and evaluated scientifically. In total, 30 apps that have been deemed to have high scientific quality will be included in a pilot version of TeenFit.

The TeenFit homepage is co-designed in a process including Spanish youths, guardians, teachers, and health workers. The purpose of the homepage is to aid youths, parents, and personnel within schools and primary care to identify the right (evidence-based) app for the right person, based on individual needs, goals, and preferences. During the autumn of 2025, workshops to identify the needs and wishes of the target groups (youths, parents, personnel) regarding such a homepage. Based on these workshops, a prototype of TeenFit is being developed. The prototype will be tested in a pilot study during 2026 and based on input from the target groups, the homepage will be revised before eventually being evaluated with regards to user experience and user-friendliness in everyday use.

The international postdoc grant for Area of Strength e-Health means that I will be able to attend the project on-site in Spain through analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about user experience and user-friendliness, collected from individuals who have had access to TeenFit.

A lack of physical activity and high sedentary time (sitting time) are associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. The number of individuals suffering from one or more chronic conditions (e.g., heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic lung disease) is increasing worldwide. Especially, many elderly persons with a chronic condition are physically inactive and find it challenging to leave home to participate in physical activity programs, due to symptoms, lack of easily accessible facilities or fear for being exposed to infection.

Developing physical activity interventions that are tailored to the needs and preferences of persons with a chronic conditions is challenging, because it needs an interdisciplinary approach and active collaboration with end users. With the results of previous work, we designed, together with people with chronic conditions, a mobile exergame (game that requires physical activity in order to play) called Heart Farming, that is tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

The grant from e-Health will be used for a three-week research visit at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Australia. The primary purpose of this visit is to strengthen international collaboration, receive methodological and scientific support related to the Heart-exergame study, and explore future opportunities for a formal partnership, including a potential postdoctoral position. The research group in Deakin University has extensive expertise in digital health interventions, serious games, and physical activity promotion which aligns closely with the aims of the Heart-exergame study and offers a unique opportunity to expand the international relevance and quality of this project.