What is the DoMore study?
The DoMore study aims to find new ways to help children and young people with long-term disabilities, who are unable to walk, to move more in their daily routines. The programme will be co-designed, by working in partnership with young people who use a wheelchair (aged 12-25), family members of young wheelchair users, professionals and experts. They will participate in a series of online workshops involving anonymous online conversations. There will also be face to face focus groups. The researchers plan to include use of technology in the programme we develop together.
Download our protocol poster to find out more about the study
Why is the DoMore study being done?
Evidence suggests long periods of sedentary time can increase the risk of poor health, for example obesity, heart disease and type II diabetes. Being sedentary means sitting or lying down whilst awake, and not using much energy. Reducing sedentary time can help to prevent poor health. Research shows that children with disabilities spend more time being sedentary than children who don’t have a disability. Currently, there are no evidence-based programmes to help young people with disabilities to reduce their sedentary time. This one will be the first of its kind.
Who is involved?
The team includes:
- Marilyn Bradbury (Project lead),
- Dr Christine Burt and Priti Parmar, from Research and Innovation at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust,
- service users (including Nathan Giles and the West Midlands Clinical Research Network Young Persons Steering Group),
- Professor Joan Duda and Dr Sally Fenton from the School of Sport and Exercise at the University of Birmingham, Dr Sue Neilson from the School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, and Dr Elizabeth Croot from the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield,
- industry experts Clever Together, who will host the crowdsourcing platforms and Dignio, who will build the software that will be incorporated within the intervention.
How do I get involved?
The study is not open yet. We plan to start the conversation early in 2020.
If you want to stay up to date and be among the first to hear when the study opens, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter.
Paralympian Hannah Dines, a trike racer and race runner with cerebral palsy is supporting the study. She said "I hope the DoMore study enables more people to be active if they want to be, and progresses the research behind why activity matters".
If you want to Tweet about this work, we encourage you to use the hashtag #DoMore.
