Linda K Larkey

Arizona State University | ASU · College of Nursing and Health Innovation

Background: The high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden attributed to cancer-causing HPV call for researchers to address this public health concern through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Despite disparities in HPV-associated cancers in Korean and Vietnamese Americans (KAs, VAs) their vaccination rates remain low. Evidence points to...

BACKGROUND The high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden attributed to cancer-causing HPV call for researchers to address this public health concern through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Despite disparities in HPV-associated cancers in Korean and Vietnamese Americans (KAs, VAs) their vaccination rates remain low. Evidence points to t...

BACKGROUND The high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden attributed to cancer-causing HPV call for researchers to address this public health concern through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Disparities of HPV-associated cancers in Vietnamese and Korean Americans (VA, KA) exist, yet their vaccination rates remain low. Evidence points to...

Background Older adults are increasingly lonely and at risk for hypertension. Endogenous oxytocin levels are associated with lowering blood pressure (BP), suggesting value in increasing oxytocin. Regular practice of Tai Chi improves BP and mood; we explored a single session of Tai Chi Easy (TCE) with older adults and feasibility of measuring oxytoc...

Aging is significantly associated with cognitive decline. A growing number of US adults ages ≥ 65 years have neurocognitive impairment resulting in compromised immediate and/or long-term health outcomes. Interventions to mitigate cognitive decline and promote healthy aging are needed. Research in intermittent fasting (IF) suggests positive health o...

Background The high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden attributed to cancer-causing HPV call for researchers to address this public health concern through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Disparities of HPV-associated cancers in Vietnamese and Korean Americans (VA, KA) exist, yet their vaccination rates remain low. Evidence points to...

Background: Dissemination strategies to reach underserved and minority populations to promote screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is key to reducing disparities. We conducted a study to examine a tailored messaging approach to navigate individuals from communities (i.e., lower income, less access to care, underscreened) to clinics to receive CRC...

Background It is challenging to develop health promotion interventions created in collaboration with communities affected by inequities that focus beyond individual behavior change. One potential solution is interventions that use digital stories (DS). Digital storytelling (DST) is an opportunity for reflection, connection with others, and the elev...

BACKGROUND To address the unmet need for a commercial cancer-specific meditation app, we leveraged a long-standing partnership with a consumer-based app (i.e., Calm) to develop the first commercial meditation app prototype adapted specifically for cancer patients’ needs. Input was obtained at both the individual user and clinic level (i.e., cancer...

Background To address the unmet need for a commercial cancer-specific meditation app, we leveraged a long-standing partnership with a consumer-based app (ie, Calm) to develop the first commercial meditation app prototype adapted specifically for the needs of patients with cancer. Input was obtained at both the individual user and clinic levels (ie,...

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States paralleled with several cardiometabolic risk factors that are on the rise such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Many of these cardiometabolic risk factors are preventable by lifestyle changes in physical activity and dietary patterns. Qigong and Tai Chi Easy...

Background: To address the need for long-term, accessible, nonpharmacologic interventions targeting sleep in patients with chronic hematological cancer, we propose the first randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of a consumer-based mobile meditation app, Calm, on sleep disturbance in this population. Objective: This study aims to...

Despite higher rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancer in Vietnamese Americans (VA), their vaccination rate remains low. Culturally grounded narratives incorporating culture-specific beliefs and practices may be a promising approach to promote HPV vaccination and potentially mitigate HPV-associated cancer disparities experienced by VA...

Purpose To review the evidence of the potential mechanisms (behavioral, psychological/emotional, and physical factors) of prenatal yoga for preventing excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in pregnant women to guide future research. Main body Prenatal yoga is a common form of physical activity during pregnancy and includes a combination of physi...

Background Breast cancer survivors (BCS), particularly Latina BCS, experience weight gain and reduced physical activity (PA) post-treatment increasing the risk for recurrence. There is a lack of evidence on the intensity and type of PA needed to engage cultural subgroups and improve clinical outcomes. This study developed and piloted two non-tradit...

Purpose Although screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) lowers mortality and morbidity and is generally cost-effective, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of screening promotion. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a group-randomized trial. Setting: Multicultural, underinsured communities in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Subjects...

Background Mobile meditation apps may offer a long-term, accessible, and effective solution for ongoing symptom management in cancer patients/survivors. However, there are currently no commercial cancer-specific meditation apps that reflect cancer specialist expertise, input from cancer patients/survivors, and features and content specific to cance...

Weight gain and related adverse changes in body composition are prevalent among midlife and older women and contribute to chronic disease (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, depression). Tai Chi (TC) and Qigong (QG), forms of Meditative Movement, demonstrate improved physical/psychological symptoms and body composition. Using a standardized TC/QG...

Increasing rates of breast cancer coupled with improvements in treatment means the number of breast cancer survivors (BCSs) is growing. BCSs frequently report persistent cognitive deficits (i.e., “cancer-related cognitive impairment”) that impacts QOL and treatment compliance. Older (≥65 years old) BCSs are more likely to experience cognitive decli...

Use of mindfulness mobile apps has become popular, however, there is little information about subscribers' perceptions of app content and its impact on sleep and mental health. The purpose of this study was to survey subscribers to Calm, a popular mindfulness meditation app, to explore perceived improvements in sleep and mental health, evaluate wha...

This descriptive qualitative study was conducted to understand supportive care needs from the perspectives of cancer patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs). Data collected from a purposive sample of 15 individuals (eight cancer patients and seven HCPs) using individual semi-structured interviews (60–90 minutes) were analyzed using thematic...

Objective The objective of this study was to 1) determine the effects of a meditation app on depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance, and 2) explore the potential mediating effects of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal on the relationship between use of the meditation app and changes in depression and anxiety. Metho...

BACKGROUND Mobile meditation apps may offer a long-term, accessible, and effective solution for ongoing symptom management in cancer patients/survivors. However, there are currently no commercial cancer-specific meditation apps that reflect cancer specialist expertise, input from cancer patients/survivors, and features and content specific to cance...

Per principles outlined in the Belmont Report, research involving human subjects should minimize risks to participants and maximize benefits to participants and society. Recruitment of participants should be equitable. Once enrolled, participants have the right to withdraw at any point. Researchers must balance these principles with pressures to me...

BACKGROUND Middle-aged adults (40 to 65 years) report higher stress than most age groups. There is a need to test the feasibility of using a meditation app to reduce stress and improve stress-related outcomes in both middle-aged men and women. OBJECTIVE Therefore, the purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the feasibility (i.e., acceptability...

Background: Middle-aged adults (40 to 65 years) report higher stress than most age groups. There is a need to test the feasibility of using a meditation app to reduce stress and improve stress-related outcomes in middle-aged men and women with focus on men as previous meditation app studies report a low percentage of male participants and some stu...

Purpose To describe pregnant women’s experiences and perceptions of facilitators/barriers of a prenatal yoga intervention to prevent excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG). Methods Pregnant women (N=13) were interviewed after participation in a 12-week prenatal yoga intervention to prevent EGWG. Interviews were summarized using thematic analysis...

Informal caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often experience high stress and reduced wellbeing and quality of life. HeartMath's Heart Lock-In® technique has been shown to reduce stress. In a randomized controlled pilot study among ten informal AD caregivers, we examined a two-week ten-minute daily, internet delivered heart-focused...

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Despite improvements in screening, testing for CRC is underutilized in some populations, suggesting a need to identify efficient test promotion strategies. Methods Our intervention guided individuals from low-income, underserved communities...

The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to test whether a commercially available, mindfulness meditation mobile app, (i.e., Calm app), was effective in reducing fatigue (primary outcome), pre-sleep arousal, and daytime sleepiness (secondary outcomes) in adults with sleep disturbance (Insomnia Severity Index Score >10) as compared to a...

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are at risk for psychological and social impairment given the rigors and multiple sequelae of treatment. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of a digital storytelling (DS) intervention for HCT patients, and to examine limited efficacy of the intervention relative t...

Dietary patterns associated with risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) may contribute to continuing health disparities in Latinx populations. Latinx from low-income communities, aged 25-65, were randomized to a 12-week storytelling-based intervention (ST) (n = 300) or didactic learning (DL)(n = 285) classes on cancer screening and dietary changes relate...

Introduction : The delivery of online interventions in cancer patients/survivors has increased. The measurement of participation in online interventions is important to consider, namely, the challenges of the remote assessment of activity. The purpose of this study was to report the measures used to assess intervention compliance and other physical...

Background Over 30% of Americans report regular sleep disturbance, and consumers are increasingly seeking strategies to improve sleep. Self-guided mindfulness mobile apps may help individuals improve their sleep. Despite the recent proliferation of sleep content within commercially available mindfulness apps, there is little research on how consume...

Background: Advancements in early detection and treatment of cancer have led to increased survival rates and greater need to identify effective supportive care options for resolving symptoms of survivorship. Many non-pharmacological approaches to symptom management during and after cancer treatment involve emotional self-regulation as a central str...

Background: Depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance are common problems that greatly affect quality of life for many myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients. App-based mindfulness meditation is a feasible nonpharmacologic approach for managing symptoms. However, previous research has not considered how patients’ overall mental health may infl...

Purpose Effects of a mindfulness-based (MB) yoga practice on stress, burnout, and indicators of well-being among nurses and health care professionals (HCPs). Design A randomized controlled trial, 80 HCPs assigned to either MB yoga intervention or control group. Method The MB yoga intervention group ( n = 41) attended weekly yoga classes and pract...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze metacommunication during the digital storytelling (DST) workshop process for patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Methods: HCT survivors who had undergone transplant within the past 2 years were recruited at a cancer center in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Par...

BACKGROUND Over 30% of Americans report regular sleep disturbance and consumers are increasingly seeking strategies to improve sleep. Self-guided mindfulness mobile apps may help individuals improve their sleep. Despite the recent proliferation of sleep content within commercially available mindfulness apps, there is little research on how consumer...

BACKGROUND Smartphone ownership is ubiquitous among US adults, making the delivery of health interventions via a mobile application (i.e., mHealth) attractive to many researchers and clinicians. Meditation interventions have become popular and have been delivered to study participants via mobile applications to improve a range of health outcomes in...

Background: Smartphone ownership is becoming ubiquitous among US adults, making the delivery of health interventions via a mobile app (ie, mobile health [mHealth]) attractive to many researchers and clinicians. Meditation interventions have become popular and have been delivered to study participants via mobile apps to improve a range of health ou...

Background: There is a need for tools to decrease cancer patients' and survivors' long-term symptom burden. Complementary strategies, such as meditation, can accompany pharmacologic therapy to improve symptoms. Although support programs with targeted content have wider reach, higher adherence, and greater impact, there are no consumer-based medita...

Background: Culture-specific interventions based on storytelling can address the social and cultural context of HIV that is unique to Southern African American women. Methods: We describe a community-engaged process to construct scripted stories to promote HIV prevention based on cultural narratives from African American women living with HIV. O...

BACKGROUND There is a need for tools to decrease cancer patient/survivor long-term symptom burden. Complementary strategies, such as meditation, can accompany pharmacologic therapy to improve symptoms. Although support programs with targeted content have wider reach, higher adherence, and greater impact, there are no consumer-based meditation apps...

Background Colorectal cancer screening remains suboptimal among poor and underserved people. Purpose We tested the effectiveness of a community-to-clinic navigator intervention to guide multicultural, underinsured individuals into primary care clinics to complete colorectal cancer screening. Methods This two-phase behavioral intervention study wa...

Background College students experience high levels of stress. Mindfulness meditation delivered via a mobile app may be an appealing, efficacious way to reduce stress in college students. Objective We aimed to test the initial efficacy and sustained effects of an 8-week mindfulness meditation mobile app—Calm—compared to a wait-list control on stress...

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients suffer from significant symptoms, inflammation and reduced quality of life. Yoga improves these outcomes in other cancers, but this hasn't been demonstrated in MPNs. The purpose of this study was to: (1) explore the limited efficacy (does the program show promise of success) of a 12-week onlin...

Objectives: To review current publications to examine safety of tai chi (TC). Design: Cochrane Library, EBSCO host and MEDLINE/PubMed were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including TC as the core intervention and reporting adverse events (AEs). Data were extracted considering active vs. inactive control group comparisons and pre...

Family caregivers are essential partners for patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). The caregiving role is emotionally, physically, and financially demanding. Intervention efforts to provide relief for caregiver stress during HCT are highly warranted. Storytelling interventions are accruing evidence for efficacy in therapeutic con...

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients often report high symptom burden that persists despite the best available pharmacologic therapy. Meditation has gained popularity in recent decades as a way to manage cancer patient symptoms. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of 2 different consumer-based medita...

BACKGROUND Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients often suffer from long-term symptoms and reduced quality of life. Mindfulness meditation is a complementary therapy shown to be beneficial for alleviating a range of cancer-related symptoms; however, in-person meditation interventions are difficult for cancer patients to attend. Meditation deliv...

BACKGROUND College students experience high levels of stress that compromises health. Mindfulness meditation delivered via a mobile application (app) may be an appealing, efficacious way to reduce stress in college students. OBJECTIVE To test the initial efficacy and sustained effects of an 8-week mindfulness meditation intervention delivered via...

We currently see an interdisciplinary shift toward a “participatory turn” in health research and promotion under which community engagement, shared decision making and planning, and the use of visual and digital methods have become paramount. Digital storytelling (DST) is one such innovative and engaging method increasingly used in applied health i...

Evidence suggests that men’s health disparities are linked to attitudes and beliefs toward health promotion and risk reduction, participation in high-risk behaviors, and limited health care access and use influenced by socioeconomic challenges. However, we know less about the specific factors related to health disparities in older Mexican American...

BACKGROUND Myeloproliferative neoplasm patients often report a high symptom burden that persists despite best available pharmacologic therapy. Meditation has gained popularity in recent decades as a way to manage symptoms in cancer patients. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of the use of two different consumer-bas...

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are rare hematological malignancies with a significant symptom burden often left unresolved despite recent advances in pharmacological therapy. Yoga is a nonpharmacological strategy that has been shown to improve symptoms in other cancers and may be effective for improving symptoms in MPN patients. Online yoga he...

Evidence of the health and wellbeing benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong (TQ) have emerged in the past two decades, but TQ is underutilized in modern health care in Western countries due to lack of promotion and the availability of professionally qualified TQ instructors. To date, there are no government regulations for TQ instructors or for training in...

Purpose: Meditative movement (MM) practices are increasingly being studied, including examination of the potential for these modalities to contribute to weight management. Methods: A search was conducted for randomized controlled trials testing one or both of two forms of MM, Tai Chi and Qigong, reporting effects on changes in body composition....

Digital storytelling workshops are increasingly being used to capture lived experiences and develop/disseminate health promotion messages for vulnerable and marginalized populations. Thirty female Latina teens of varied sexual/parity status produced digital stories of significant life experiences in a group context and then viewed and evaluated the...

Background Biomarkers associated with inflammation and immune function are increasingly being used to examine mechanisms of the effects of mind-body therapies. Less researched are biomarkers associated with cognitive and executive functioning in the study of mind-body therapy mechanisms and effects. This study explored the feasibility of recruiting...

Background Numerous studies have reported that spending time in nature is associated with the improvement of various health outcomes and well-being. This review evaluated the physical and psychological benefits of a specific type of exposure to nature, forest therapy. Method A literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect,...

The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize current evidence on nursing leadership styles, nurse satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. Results suggest that relational leadership traits contribute to greater nurse satisfaction whereas task-oriented styles may decrease nurse satisfaction. Minimal information for the connection between n...

Objectives The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: (1) to better understand how yoga practitioners perceive intra- and interpersonal outcomes of their yoga practice, and (2) to develop a conceptual model of yoga effects on intra- and interpersonal outcomes that may underlie the “relational” influences of yoga. Design As part of a larger...

Objectives African American women are disproportionately impacted upon by HIV, particularly in the Southern states of the USA where the percentage of new cases of HIV and the percentage of people living with HIV in the USA are highest. This study describes the lived experiences of HIV-positive African American women based on their written stories....

e21704 Background: Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) have difficult symptom burden (i.e. fatigue, pruritus, night sweats) not resolved by current medical therapies including jak inhibitor therapy. We hypothesize that on-line (at home) yoga might alleviate MPN symptoms and complement medical therapy. Methods: MPN patients, recruited b...

Background and purpose: The use of storytelling in health promotion has grown over the past 2 decades, showing promise for moving people to initiate healthy behavior change. Given the increasingly prevalent role of storytelling in health promotion research and the need to more clearly identify what storytelling elements and mediators may better pr...

Introduction: Regular screening facilitates early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and reduction of CRC morbidity and mortality. Screening rates for minorities and low-income populations remain suboptimal. Provider referral for CRC screening is one of the strongest predictors of adherence, but referrals are unlikely among those who have no cli...

Objective: Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) experience symptoms affecting overall quality of life (QOL), often for a prolonged period post-treatment. Meditative Movement (MM), including Qigong and Tai Chi Easy (QG/TCE), has demonstrated benefit for improving QOL issues such as fatigue and sleep, but there is limited evidence of its impact on cogniti...

Cancer survivors face many challenges. The prolonged stress of cancer diagnosis and treatment can dysregulate the immune and neuroendocrine systems, leading to depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and cognitive impairment (Miller, Ancoli-Israel, Bower, Capuron, & Irwin,