Jennifer Brunet

• PhD
• Professor at University of Ottawa

Purpose: Young adults report challenges concerning cancer-­related cognitive impairment (CRCI). This study aimed to: (1) describe cognition in young adults post-cancer treatment using self-report and performance-based measures, and (2) examine associations between cognition and relevant disease-related, psychological, and lifestyle (physical activi...

Background As the prevalence of chemotherapy‐related cognitive impairment rises, investigation into treatment options is critical. The objectives of this study were to test the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention initiated during chemotherapy compared to usual care (wait list control condition) on (1) objectively measured cognitive function...

Purpose Yoga may be uniquely suited to address bio-psycho-social concerns among adults with gynecologic cancer because it can be tailored to individuals’ needs and can help shift focus inward towards self-reflection, body appreciation, and gratitude. This study describes the collaborative process guided by the Knowledge-to-Action framework used to...

Background Cancer is a chronic condition associated with a substantial symptom burden, which can impair recovery after treatment. Investigating interventions with potential to improve self-reported disease and/or treatment effects—known as patient-reported outcomes (PROs)—is paramount to inform cancer care. The objective of this study was to evalua...

Background Worldwide, > 1.3 million adults are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer each year, affecting their wellbeing and quality of life. This manuscript describes the protocol for a study that sought to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of a community-based co-created yoga program and proposed evaluative methods, and estimate...

Background: Insufficient physical activity (PA) and excess weight increase illness risk for women. Face-to-face interventions can increase PA levels; however, they are often inaccessible. With growing interest in digital interventions, a Self-Determination Theory (SDT)–driven intervention was developed and delivered via email to promote PA in women...

Background Qualitative research on women’s experiences participating in yoga after a cancer diagnosis is growing; systematic synthesis and integration of results are necessary to facilitate the transfer and implementation of knowledge among researchers and end-users. Thus, the purpose of this meta-synthesis was to: (1) integrate findings from quali...

Purpose This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesize published studies on physical activity (PA) and cognition among persons with cancer and elucidate knowledge gaps. Methods Articles were identified through electronic and manual searches (02/21 and 03/22) using the following inclusion criteria: (1) empirical, peer-reviewed publication in...

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI; e.g., disrupted memory, executive functioning, and information processing) affects many young adults, causing significant distress, reducing quality of life (QoL), and thwarting their ability to engage in professional, recreational, and social experiences. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study...

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) can diminish young adults’ quality of life. Evidence on the cognitive benefits of physical activity (PA) for cancer survivors is mixed, though some studies and narrative accounts suggest it may be a promising form of self-management. Rather than dismissing the role of PA, it is important to investigate whi...

BACKGROUND Insufficient physical activity (PA) and excess weight increase illness risk for women. Face-to-face interventions can increase PA levels; however, they are often inaccessible. With growing interest in digital interventions, a Self-Determination Theory (SDT)–driven intervention was developed and delivered via email to promote PA in women...

A review of qualitative research exploring women’s experiences with yoga after a cancer diagnosis can provide important insights into their motives, barriers, and preferences for yoga participation, which can be used to enhance engagement. In this meta-study meta-synthesis, 6 electronic databases were systematically searched to identify qualitative...

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is prevalent and consequential for young adults. Yet, it remains unclear which personal characteristics are associated with post-treatment CRCI; such data may help identify at-risk young adults. Additionally, although reviews and meta-analyses demonstrate the efficacy of moderate-to-vigorous physical activ...

Background Young adults aged 18–39 years commonly experience persistent side effects following cancer treatment that can impair their quality of life. Physical activity (PA) holds promise as a behavioral intervention to mitigate persistent side effects and improve quality of life. Yet, few young adults are active enough to incur these benefits and...

Body image is a commonly-reported factor perpetuating declines in physical activity levels during adolescence. However, the evidence is predominantly qualitative, cross-sectional, and focused on females. Furthermore, the affective dimension of body image has been overlooked compared to the perceptual (e.g., misrepresentations of body size) and cogn...

Background: Insufficient physical activity and excess weight increase illness risk for women. Email-delivered interventions may be a solution for offering accessible, cost-effective, brief support to women to increase their engagement in physical activity. This study explored participants’ perspectives of the acceptability and usability of a theory...

Background The benefits of yoga for clinical and non-clinical populations have been summarized in published systematic reviews. The vast majority of systematic reviews on the topic are syntheses of quantitative research that evaluated the effects of yoga. As qualitative research related to women’s experiences participating in yoga after a cancer di...

Using a Straussian grounded theory methodology, we explored the meaning women attribute to body image and how they understand their breast cancer experience as influencing their body image to develop a grounded theory of body image for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Interviews were conducted with 27 women who had completed treatment for breast...

Physical activity (PA) motives are associated with both moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) and mental health. Studies examining whether PA motives relate directly to mental health or indirectly through MVPA are lacking. This study examined the direct effect of five PA motives (i.e., enjoyment, competence, fitness, social, appearance) on menta...

A single-arm feasibility trial was conducted to explore rural-living young adult cancer survivors’ physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and motivational processes underlying any behavior changes during a telehealth behavior change intervention grounded in self-determination theory. Participants ( n = 7; 85.7% female; Mage = 33.9, ran...

PurposePhysical activity (PA) can help reduce side effects related to cancer whilst promoting quality of life. This qualitative study explored cancer survivors’ experiences in an 8-week group-based walking program with behavioural support that was delivered within the community to highlight factors central to successful adoption and sustainability...

Purpose: This paper describes women’s opinions of the attributes of the ideal body image program to inform the design, development, and implementation of future programs for those diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: Deductive-inductive content analysis of semi-structured interviews with 26 women diagnosed with breast cancer (mean age = 55.96 yea...

The Pediatric Collections: Sports Medicine Playbook will increase pediatric providers’ understanding of the injuries that young athletes may incur – including their history, treatment, and prevention. Each section includes a unique expert introduction and they cover such topics as the benefits of physical activity, injuries, and concerns including...

Abstract Background Executive functioning (EF) deficits are troubling for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) after cancer treatment. Physical activity (PA) may enhance neural activity underlying EF among older adults affected by cancer. Establishing whether PA enhances neural activity among AYAs is warranted. As part of a two-arm, mixed-methods pi...

PurposeThe self-perceptions of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) after cancer treatment are not well understood. As part of a two-arm, mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), this qualitative sub-study explored AYAs’ self-perceptions after cancer treatment and investigated how physical activity (PA) may contribute to their self-per...

This study examined the longitudinal associations between five physical activity (PA) motives and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) across a 5-year period spanning late childhood to middle adolescence. METHODS: Data (n = 937; 55% girls; mean age = 10.33 years) were drawn from the Monitoring Activities for Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits study. PA...

Despite the extensive benefits of sport participation, girls consistently participate at lower rates, are more likely to drop out, and report worse sport experiences compared to boys. Body image is a critical factor identified to influence sport participation for adolescent girl athletes. Strategies to mitigate the impact of body image in sport are...

Background: Cognitive impairment is common among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Physical activity (PA) may help mitigate cognitive impairment post- treatment by positively impacting two indicators of general brain health: fractional anisotropy (FA) and functional connectivity (FC). As part of a two-arm, mixed-methods pilot rando...

Introduction Body image concerns may contribute to poor sport experiences and low sport participation in girls. Objectification theory and evidence from studies in non‐sport contexts suggests body talk may elicit an environment that fosters negative body image. However, the phenomenon of body talk within adolescent girls sport is not well‐understoo...

Purpose: We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week telehealth behavior change intervention to promote physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption among rural-living young adult cancer survivors. Methods: Participants met with a health coach once a week for 60 minutes for 12 weeks. Feasibility measures included rates of re...

Purpose: Adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience debilitating symptoms that may be mitigated by boxing. Yet, attrition from boxing programs is problematic. Understanding whether PD-specific boxing programs can enhance motivation to remain physically active is important. This study investigated adults' experiences within a PD-specific boxin...

Background Physical activity (PA) is an integral part of healthcare for the general population and individuals with psychiatric disorders. However, PA is significantly more complex for and related to both healthy (e.g., reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms) and unhealthy outcomes (e.g., intrusive, repetitive thoughts that lead to abnormally high...

Objective The emergence of body image studies in the oncology setting has led to the use of numerous measures to assess dimensions of body image. The present study is a scoping review of the literature on body image in women with breast cancer to describe: (1) measures used to assess body image in women with breast cancer, (2) dimensions the measur...

PurposeModerate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) can alleviate many adverse side effects and symptoms caused by cancer treatments; yet, most cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Evidence shows that theory-based PA behavior change interventions are more effective than non-theory-based interventions; thus, it is necessary to ascert...

Background: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) can exhibit a dysregulation of cortisol and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels post-treatment, which increase the risk of diverse health outcomes. Certain behavioural, physical, and psychological variables may help to predict cortisol and CRP levels post-treatment. The aims of this study were to: (1)...

This study examines knowledge of physical activity (PA) guidelines for cancer prevention and beliefs of the role of PA in preventing cancer as correlates of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) behaviour among adults. Measures assessing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of PA guidelines, and PA beliefs and behaviour were completed on...

Purpose: This study examined the association between self-perceived actual and ideal body sizes and objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescents, controlling for puberty, fat mass index, and sex. A secondary objective was to explore the association between objectively assessed fat mass index and MVPA. Metho...

Objective: To synthesize knowledge regarding the effect of health care provider-delivered physical activity interventions on cancer survivors' physical activity behaviour. Methods: Ten electronic databases were searched for articles reporting on the effect of health care provider-delivered physical activity interventions on cancer survivors' phy...

Background: Physical activity (PA) can promote mental health, but the mechanisms underpinning this association are not well-established. This study examined if perceptions of three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) mediate the association between number of years participa...

Background: Physical activity confers many physical and psychosocial benefits for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, yet most are not active enough to accrue benefits. Parental support for physical activity may be important to consider when exploring factors that influence physical activity in this population. Purpose: Explore adolescent...

Despite well-documented benefits of sport participation for adolescents, girls are less likely to initiate participation and more likely to disengage from sport, compared to boys. Due to the highly evaluative and social nature of the sport context, girls' emotional experiences around their body's abilities, function, and fitness are important-yet u...

BACKGROUND Motives for participation in physical activity (PA) have been associated with moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA); however, these associations have yet to be established during the transition from childhood to adolescence. This study examined the longitudinal associations between five PA motives (i.e., enjoyment, competence, fitness...

The current study explored change in body-related self-conscious emotions (e.g., shame, guilt, authentic pride, hubristic pride) over three years, and tested body surveillance, age, weight status, years in sport, and competitive status as baseline predictors of change. Adolescent females engaged in organized sport (N = 518 at baseline, Mage = 14.02...

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe posttraumatic growth (PTG) levels among survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer (AYAs), and estimate relationships between PTG and medical (cancer type, age at diagnosis, time since treatment), behavioral (physical activity), and psychological (appearance evaluations, body satisfactio...

Objectives: (a) Describe levels of physical and global self-esteem and (b) explore the relationships between these types of self-esteem and physical activity (PA) behaviour, self-efficacy for PA and physical self-perceptions among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Methods: A total of 87 AYA cancer survivors (Mage = 32.90 ± 4.38...

Purpose Many adults must cope with the adverse effects of cancer and adjuvant therapies, which may limit their engagement in health-enhancing behaviors such as physical activity (PA). Furthermore, the placement of a stoma during surgery for rectal cancer may cause additional challenges to being physically active. The aim of this study was to explor...

This study explored the factor structure of four subscales from the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire-Short Form (PSDQ-S). Associations between subscales and personal and medical factors were also examined. The analytic sample consisted of 89 survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer (Mage at time of study = 32.96 ± 4.37 years; Mage at d...

Background: Sport participation promotes mental health and prevents mental illness. However, the association between specific sport profiles and mental health has not been examined. We investigate the longitudinal association between number of years with a recreational or performance sport profile and mental health during adolescence, and whether t...

Background Physical activity (PA) helps reduce cancer-related symptoms and improves overall functioning for women with and without a history of breast cancer (BC). Few researchers have examined the associations between PA and physiological stress measures. The aim of this study was to determine whether aerobic PA was associated with diurnal and rea...

Background: Most adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Given that AYA cancer survivors’ report renewed dependence on their parents, the support (or lack thereof) provided by parents for physical activity (PA) may be a key determinant of PA in this population. As a first step toward understanding and explaining...

Objective: Leisure time physical activity (PA) and sport participation can promote mental health and prevent mental illness. However, the PA practices of performance athletes (who specialize in one sport, train intensely for many hours, over-train and who experience high levels of competitiveness) may threaten mental health. At the other extreme, y...

Self-perceptions can be defined as the way that people think about their traits, beliefs, roles, identities, and descriptions. In this chapter, we present an overview of existing work on the multidimensional and hierarchical structure of the self. Within the context of sport and exercise, the physical self and related physical self-perceptions are...

Objective Physical activity can improve health, functional capacity, and quality of life in children and adults with cancer. Physical activity may also offer important benefits to adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer (AYAs). We conducted a scoping review to determine the extent, range, and nature of published studies on physical activ...

Model syntax for each level of invariance and median, skewness and kurtosis values.

We examined if screen time can be assessed over time when the measurement protocol has changed to reflect advances in technology. Beginning in 2011, 929 youth (9-12 years at time one) living in in New Brunswick (Canada) self-reported the amount of time spent watching television (cycles 1-13), using computers (cycles 1-13), and playing video games (...

Objectives: We aimed to increase understanding of the link between sport specialization during childhood and adolescent physical activity (PA). The objectives were as follows: (1) describe the natural course of sport participation over 5 years among children who are early sport samplers or early sport specializers and (2) determine if a sport part...

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and depressive symptoms in women after treatment for breast cancer. Method: Accelerometer data on MVPA and self-report data on frequency of depressive symptoms were collected fiv...

Objective Physical activity (PA) prescriptions provided by family physicians can promote PA participation among patients, but few physicians regularly write PA prescriptions. The objective of this study was to describe family physicians’ experiences of trying to implement written PA prescriptions into their practice. Design Longitudinal qualitativ...

Purpose We aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between parents' and youth's participation in physical activity (PA). Methods One hundred and ninety youth completed self-administered questionnaires 3 times per year from 2011 to 2015, and their parents completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire during a telephone interview once i...

Qualitative research on the impact of physical activity on quality of life (QoL) in adults diagnosed with cancer is accumulating. However, the field of physical activity and cancer survivorship lack a synthesis of this research to reliably understand the implications for future research and practice. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to identify,...

Background Cancer survivors face a range of negative physical and psychological effects that can be mitigated by participating in physical activity. Despite this, most do not meet recommended levels. Health care providers may be in a unique position to promote participation in physical activity among cancer survivors. The aim of this systematic rev...

Background Promoting quality of life (QoL) is a key priority in cancer care. We investigated the hypothesis that, in comparison to usual care, exercise post-neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy/prior to surgical resection will reduce pain, fatigue, and insomnia, and will improve physical and mental health perceptions in patients with locally advanced...

Purpose: To generate insights into the personal meaning and value of a running/walking program for women after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: After completing a 12-week running/walking program with a 5-km training goal, eight women were interviewed and seven participated in a focus group. The interviews and focus group were audio-recorded a...

The objectives of this study were to describe the cross-sectional associations between body-related selfconscious emotions and depressive symptoms in young adults and examine self-esteem as a moderator of these associations. Data from a population-based sample of 811 young adults were analyzed using hierarchical multivariate linear regression analy...

Objectives Intensity and duration of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior are individually associated with sleep, but their independent associations are poorly characterized. The objectives of this study were to determine if PA and/or sedentary behavior are/is associated with sleep quality and/or quantity in a young adult sample. Design C...

Summarizing the results of a thematic analysis aimed at identifying the barriers and facilitators perceived by general practitioners in Atlantic Canada when integrating PA prescription in their practices over a 12 month period.

The objectives of this study were to examine if: (a) measures designed to assess satisfaction of competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs in physical activity contexts can represent both general and specific needs satisfaction, and (b) the specific needs are associated with concurrent moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) parti...

Despite research attention towards understanding relationships between psychological need satisfaction (PNS), moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), methodological limitations make it difficult to establish reciprocal and mediating effects. Reciprocal relationships between PNS and MVPA w...

Purpose: This study examined whether body image self-discrepancy was a correlate of depressive symptoms among 556 early adolescents (45% girls; Mage = 11.65, SD = .94 years). Methods: Participants completed self-report measures of their self-perceived actual and ideal body shapes and depressive symptoms. Sex-stratified polynomial regressions wer...

Program quality has been outlined as an important predictor of positive outcomes in youth development programs; however, little evidence exists to support this, particularly within sport. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between researcher- and coach-assessed program quality scores as they relate to youth volleyb...

Background There are numerous published controlled trials assessing the safety and the benefits of physical activity (PA) for child and adult cancer survivors. However, trials exclusively comprised of adolescent cancer survivors aged 13-19 years, who may experience different health and quality of life (QOL) effects as a function of their developmen...

The act of reflecting on physically active possible selves can increase physical activity (PA). According to theory, possible selves that include strategies for achieving them (self-regulatory possible selves) should have the greatest impact on behavior. Our aim was to examine whether forming a self-regulatory physically active possible self is mor...

Background: The benefits of physical activity for child and adult cancer survivors have been summarized in previous systematic reviews. However, no review has summarized the evidence for adolescent cancer survivors. Objective: This paper describes the design of a protocol to conduct a systematic review of published studies examining the effects...

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal and unique association between number of years of team sport and individual sport participation during adolescence and depressive symptoms during early adulthood. Adolescents (n = 860) reported team sport and individual sport participation in each year of secondary school for five years. Par...

Objective: Parents influence their children's behavior. We examined parental influence on youth participation in physical activity (PA) in- and out-of-school, directly and/or indirectly, via self-efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of PA. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses using self-reported data from 595 youth (Mage = 13.4 years). Results: A path model...

Purpose: The adverse side effects of current treatments for breast cancer highlight the need for rehabilitative programmes. Group-based exercise programmes have been found to be effective in reducing symptoms and treatment side effects and improving physical and psychological health in cancer survivors. To assist programme administrators and instr...

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) infrastructures can provide youth chances to engage in PA. As determinants of organized and unorganized PA (OPA and UPA) may differ, we investigated if proximity to PA infrastructures (proximity) was associated with maintenance of OPA and UPA over 3 years. Methods: Youth from New Brunswick, Canada (n = 187; 10-12 ye...

Objective: (a) Examine longitudinal measurement invariance of scores from psychological need satisfaction (PNS) scales, and (b) examine if changes in PNS were associated with change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Method: Adolescents (N = 842, Mage = 10.8, SD = .6) enrolled in the Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehen...

Self-management strategies, such as physical activity, have been identified to help young cancer survivors reduce or control the side effects that accompany modern cancer therapies whilst improving their overall quality of life. Despite the known benefits of physical activity, the majority of young cancer survivors not meeting recommended guideline...

BACKGROUND: Although prior research has shown that physicians perceive various barriers that hinder the systematic promotion of physical activity in practice, no study has contrasted the barriers reported by physicians who regularly prescribe physical activity with those who are not prescribing it. AIM: The aim of this qualitative study was to expl...

Individuals who are overweight or obese report body image concerns and lower self-esteem. However, little is known about the mechanisms underpinning these associations. The objective of this study was to test body-related shame and guilt as mediators in the association between weight status and self-esteem. Young adult participants (n = 790) comple...

If measurement invariance (MI) is demonstrated for a scale completed by respondents from two different language groups, it means that the scale measures the same construct in the same way in both groups. We assessed MI of the French- and English-language versions of the five Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ) empowerment scales validated...

Background: Approximately 40% of the population reports sleep problems such as poor quality sleep and insufficient sleep duration. Physical activity (PA) can help improve sleep, but data on whether PA intensity or duration is most strongly associated with sleep are lacking. In addition, given that sedentary behaviour (e.g., TV, computer use) is dis...

Purpose: To use polynomial regression analysis with response surface methodology to examine the extent to which autonomous motivation (AM) and controlled motivation (CM) as separate constructs, as well as how the degree of agreement/differentiation and the direction of differentiation among them, can predict outcomes in academic and health contexts...

Perceived barriers to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may contribute to the low rates of MVPA in adolescents. We examined the psychometric properties of scores from the Perceived Barriers to MVPA scale (PB-MVPA) by examining composite reliability and validity evidence based on the internal structure of the PB-MVPA and relations with o...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the barriers and motives experienced by women attending an 8-week group-based physical activity program offered in the community following treatment for breast cancer. Seven women were interviewed during the first and last week of the program. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Factors t...

Purpose In this study, we aimed to identify trajectories of physical activity (PA) in a cohort of women over a one-year period following treatment for breast cancer. We also examined factors that could predict trajectory group membership. Methods We collected data from 199 women using questionnaires at baseline [mean = 3.46 months post-treatment],...

Background: Empowerment refers to an individual's feelings of being able to manage the challenges of the cancer experience and of having a sense of control over one's life. However, empowerment questionnaires that have been validated for the cancer setting are lacking. The objective of this study was to validate scales from the Health Education Im...