Miss Gabriella (Gabbi) Frith MSc

About

I joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2013 after completing my Master’s degree. My early role as a Workplace Wellness Advisor involved delivering health screenings for university staff, developing and facilitating health and wellbeing workshops, and training new practitioners. Since then, I have progressed professionally to the role of Research Fellow, focusing on the role of physical activity in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. My research interests centre on lifestyle behaviour change across a range of populations, with a particular emphasis on long-term conditions such as cancer. My work has spanned several key areas, including:

1. Qualitative research

2. Public health and physical activity evaluations

3. Design, delivery, and implementation of physical activity referral schemes for people affected by cancer

4. Training staff in behaviour change strategies

Currently, my main role involves evaluating a cancer prehabilitation service for Active Together, which is a service designed to support people who are diagnosed with cancer to become more physically active before, during, and after treatment. The service aims to help improve patients' physical and psychological readiness for treatment, enhance recovery, and improve long-term health outcomes.

My other work has included:

• Delivering health screenings for staff, designed and facilitated health and wellbeing workshops, and training new practitioners including post graduates and health care professionals.
• Designing, implementing, and evaluating physical activity programmes specifically tailored for individuals affected by cancer.
• Conducting evaluations of condition specific physical activity pathways targeting individuals with multiple long-term health conditions.
• Working as part of a whole-systems approach to physical activity across Greater Manchester, supporting the region’s strategic development and implementation of physical activity initiatives.
• Investigating the factors influencing attendance and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation across multiple UK sites, and understanding the impact of the different components of cardiac rehabilitation on health-related quality of life.

Posters

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Active for Health programme results. Yorkshire and Humber Physical Activity Knowledge Exchange - Sheffield, UK, 2018.

Humphreys, L., Reece,L., Frith,G.,& Crank, H. Active Everyday. Yorkshire and Humber Physical Activity Knowledge Exchange - Sheffield, UK, 2018.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Active for Health programme results. The International Society for Physical Activity and Health - London, UK, 2018.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Keep Active Keep Well Active results. The International Society for Physical Activity and Health - London, UK, 2018.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Keep Active Keep Well Active overview. Conference of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical activity - Vancouver, Canada, 2017.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Active for Health overview. Conference of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical activity - Vancouver, Canada, 2017.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Keep Active Keep Well. Public Health England -The role of physical activity in rehabilitation -Warwick, September 2017.

Presentations

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress - Tackling inactivity: Improving the evidence base for the effectiveness of physical activity in improving health and wellbeing symposium. October 2018, London.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Elevate Conference- The benefits of a multi-morbidity approach, evidence in practice. May 2018, London.

Frith, G ., Reece, L.,& Nicols, S. Public Health England Annual Conference -The role of physical activity in rehabilitation. September 2017, Warick.

Teaching

School of Sport and Physical Activity

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Research

• Health Research Institute

Journal articles

Myers, A., Humphreys, L., Thelwell, M., Pickering, K., Frith, G., Phillips, G., ... _, _. (2024). Embedding Multimodal Rehabilitation Within Routine Cancer Care in Sheffield—The Active Together Service Evaluation Protocol. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1-12. http://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0622

Keen, C., Phillips, G., Thelwell, M., Humphreys, L., Evans, L., Myers, A., ... Copeland, R. (2024). Correction: Keen et al. Establishing Innovative Complex Services: Learning from the Active Together Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Service. Healthcare 2023, 11, 3007. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12 (12), 1175. http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12121175

Humphreys, L., Frith, G., Humphreys, H., Crank, H., Dixey, J., Greenfield, D.M., & Reece, L.J. (2023). Evaluation of a city-wide physical activity pathway for people affected by cancer: the Active Everyday service. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31 (2). http://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07560-y

Keen, C., Phillips, G., Thelwell, M., Humphreys, L., Evans, L., Myers, A., ... Copeland, R. (2023). Establishing Innovative Complex Services: Learning from the Active Together Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Service. Healthcare, 11 (23). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11233007

Potts, A.J., Nobles, J., Shearn, K., Danks, K., & Frith, G. (2022). Embedded researchers as part of a whole systems approach to physical activity: reflections and recommendations. Systems, 10 (3). http://doi.org/10.3390/systems10030069

Frith, G., Carver, K., Curry, S., Darby, A., Sydes, A., Symonds, S., ... Nichols, S. (2021). Changes in patient activation following cardiac rehabilitation using the Active + me digital healthcare platform during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort evaluation. BMC Health Services Research, 21 (1), 1363. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07363-7

Potts, A., Shearn, K., Frith, G., & Christy, E. (2021). Working with Local People as Part of a Whole-systems Approach to Physical Activity: Reflections from Local Delivery Pilots. Perspectives in Public Health, 141 (2), 74-75. http://doi.org/10.1177/1757913920982645

Atchinson, R., Frith, G., Roden, A., Copeland, R., & Reece, L. (2018). Bright Spots: Physical activity investments that work :Active for health Rotherham; Be active to stay healthy. British Journal of Sports Medicine. http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098676

Humphreys, L., Crank, H., Frith, G., Speake, H., & Reece, L. (2017). Bright spots, physical activity investments that work: Active Everyday, Sheffield’s physical activity service for all people living with and beyond cancer. British Journal of Sports Medicine. http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098672

Reports

Humphreys, L., Frith, G., Kudiersky, N., Rosenthal, K., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2024). Active Together Service Evaluation Report.

Shearn, K., Crabbe, T., Edgar, K., Frith, G., & Christie, E. (2020). GM Moving Local Pilot September 2020 Process Evaluation. Sport England.

Shearn, K., Crabbe, T., Edgar, K., Frith, G., & Christy, E. (2020). Greater Manchester Local Pilot Process Evaluation April 2020. Substance.

Frith, G., Copeland, R., Reece, L., & Nichols, S. (2018). Keep Active Keep Well.

Frith, G., Copeland, R., Reece, L., & Nichols, S. (2017). Active For Health.

Publications