My name is Susanna Choi and I’m a PhD candidate in Nutrition at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill. I research how we can leverage health technologies to improve the health and quality of life of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs). My journey into this research was not entirely straightforward from the start. I began my career consulting for technology and media companies before a personal health issue left me desperately seeking answers on the internet and in scientific articles that were often beyond my level of comprehension. As a layperson without a formal education in nutrition or training in research methods, I found it incredibly frustrating to navigate the sea of misinformation and sometimes contradictory health information online. This experience marked a turning point in my life, prompting me to leave my career in tech and embark on a mission to make evidence-based health information more accessible to the layperson.
During my MPH and PhD Nutrition programs at UNC Chapel Hill, I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Carmina Valle. As a graduate research assistant on the IMproving Physical Activity after Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) study—a digital physical activity intervention for young adult cancer survivors, and later as a registered dietitian, three key insights emerged. Firstly, AYAs are motivated to make healthy behavior changes. Our research group discovered that 98% of our IMPACT participants with overweight and obesity wanted to reach a healthier weight but didn’t know where to start. Secondly, access to an oncology registered dietitian is extremely limited (studies reveal an average dietitian-to-cancer-patient ratio of 1 to 2,308). This makes it difficult for AYAs to receive adequate nutrition care. Consequently, many AYAs seek nutrition and health information online but struggle to distinguish misinformation from reliable sources and to find evidence-based information that is easy to understand – challenges I resonate with. Thirdly, poor mental health can sometimes challenge AYAs’ efforts to make healthy behavior changes.
AYA Connect is the result of our research group’s efforts to address these expressed needs and desires of AYAs. To bridge this gap, we collaborated with our community advisory board of AYAs and AYA advocates to develop AYA Connect—an evidence-based digital weight management program for AYAs that uses simplified dietary monitoring and activity tracking and promotes small nutrition and activity changes. AYA Connect is designed to meet the unique needs and preferences of AYAs, aligning with evidence-based cancer prevention and survivorship recommendations. The program is delivered remotely using digital health tools and strategies and is the first of its kind to integrate a mental health component into a health behavior intervention for AYAs. Participants will receive a Fitbit activity tracker and smart scale to monitor physical activity and weight. Throughout the program, AYAs can benefit from professional expertise and personalized feedback on physical activity, nutrition, and weight changes. Programs such as AYA Connect can help address gaps in our healthcare system in a meaningful and cost-effective way.
Engaging with the community we serve is at the heart of everything we do. Organizations like Stupid Cancer play an essential role in amplifying the voices of AYAs and fostering a sense of community among AYAs, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and researchers. These efforts are critical to making our work truly impactful. We are grateful for Stupid Cancer and the AYAs who have shared their time and efforts to advance survivorship research.
Enrollment is ongoing through early 2025. Visit uncweightresearch.org/aya-connect to find more about the research program and to see if you are eligible to participate!
By: Susanna Choi