Environment and Cancer

 

Gina Besenyi, assistant professor of kinesiology, is also the Director of the Physical Activity Research in Community Settings (PARCS) Lab. Besenyi examines the interactions between time spent in nature and physical and mental health benefits. She is interested in studying the effects of spending time in nature on cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship. Spending time in nature, even relaxing or taking a short walk at the park may improve mental health and cancer-related outcomes.

Besenyi has worked in the healthcare system for many years, so much of her research and concepts stem from that. She says, “I am extremely interested in how we can incorporate physical activity into healthcare settings. My current clinical trial incorporates park-based physical activity into mental health peer services.”

Spending time in nature has a wide variety of health benefits that go beyond those of physical activity alone. For example, chemotherapy patients have multiple mental and physical challenges due to side effects of chemotherapy. Besenyi believes spending time outside, socially connecting with other people, and being active can be an important part of cancer treatment.

Besenyi wants to extend the effects of nature from prevention to cancer treatment to survivorship “Many hospitals have gardens for patients. Hospital gardens expose chemotherapy patients to nature in a relaxing setting. When the patient is finished with chemotherapy, there needs to be a structured support system to keep them actively engaged with nature.”

“In the case of cancer survivorship, I want to know how support groups could facilitate nature-based physical activity and improve quality of life. I would like to collaborate with local oncologists, looking at ways where the healthcare system might already be set up to support them, or ways we could try to integrate into existing treatment follow up and support groups.”

The core foundation of her lab (PARCS) promotes outdoor time, even if that time is relaxing or sedentary. “You are going to get more activity getting up and going outside, sitting reading a book in the park then if you were sitting at home. We also know that getting exposed to nature and/or socially engaging with another person can improve health outcomes. So, I like that there is a crossover between physical activity, outdoor activity, fresh air and interacting with other individuals to not feel so isolated.”

Overall, Besenyi would like to show the effectiveness of built environmental interventions and physical activity on reducing cancer risk.