Nancy Gyurcsik

My broad area of expertise is in exercise psychology. The overall aim of my research is to identify complementary theory-based psychosocial factors that impact adherence to physical activity. I am also interested in designing and testing theory-based interventions that target changes in problematic psychosocial factors in order to enhance adherence and, in turn, health and well-being.

I have expertise in studying psychosocial predictors of adherence among healthy individuals as well as individuals with chronic disease. I am especially interested in adults with arthritis or, more broadly, adults with chronic pain. Public health recommendations are that adults should engage in at least 150 minutes each week of moderate to vigorous activity. However, individuals with chronic disease often times struggle to meet this recommendation, thereby not achieving both health and disease self-management benefits.

Thus, identifying psychosocial factors that differentiate adults with chronic disease who are more or less active is one area of focus. I investigate activity-related psychosocial factors (e.g., barriers, self-regulatory efficacy beliefs), disease-specific factors (e.g., pain), and positive psychological factors (e.g., pain acceptance, psychological flexibility, resilience). This complementary perspective is unique, addressing real-world factors that work together to impact activity adherence.

My research program has been supported, in part, by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), the Social Sciences and Humanites Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Saskatchewan Community Initiatives Fund. I have an active research lab, with undergraduate and graduate students being regularly engaged and successful across various research experiences. I work with internationally recognized researchers in academic and community-based settings.