Date Presented 04/04/2025
A four session wellness program targeting sleep, physical activity, stress management, and nutrition, indicated positive impacts on health behaviors, adding insight into the proactive role occupational therapy can play in educational settings.
Primary Author and Speaker: Tracy Van Oss
Additional Authors and Speakers: Morgan Miller, Samantha D’Amicantonio, Migdalia Wood, Molly Deborah Sawyer
BACKGROUND: Current literature reveals that first-year students’ transition to university negatively impacts mental and physical health (Bruffaerts et al., 2018; Miller & Hartman, 2018). Research shows that early intervention, through lifestyle redesign, can positively impact long-term health outcomes, potentially reducing healthcare costs and societal burdens associated with chronic illnesses (Papanicolas et al., 2018; Pyatak et al., 2022). However, there is a lack of proactive, comprehensive wellness programs targeting both physical and mental health to meet this population’s needs.
DESIGN AND PURPOSE: The efficacy of a four-session wellness program targeting first-year students’ health behaviors was explored using a quasi-experimental mixed methods design.
METHOD: Modules consisted of sleep, physical activity, stress management, and nutrition. Participants enrolled in the study through two First Year Seminar (FYS) courses. The intervention group attended wellness sessions integrated into the FYS curriculum; the control group did not receive intervention. Surveys were distributed to all participants prior to and after the completion of the program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the intervention group prior to engagement in the program as an additional data collection method.
RESULTS: Conducting four one-hour sessions on sleep, nutrition, stress management, and physical activity had positive impacts on health behaviors in first-year students. Each area had unique impacts while the program, as a whole, fostered increased awareness, self-reflection, and growth regarding health behavior engagement.
CONCLUSION: Further investigation can solidify the positive impact of a wellness program on first-year students’ health behaviors, working to decrease physical and mental health disparities. It can provide insight into the proactive role occupational therapy can play in delivering health strategies in educational settings.
References
Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Kiekens, G., Auerbach, R. P., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., Green, J. G., Nock, M. K., & Kessler, R. C. (2018). Mental health problems in college freshmen: Prevalence and academic functioning. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.044
Miller, K. G., & Hartman, J. M. (2018). Influence of physical activity on weight status during the first year of college. Journal of American College Health, 68(3), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1539398
Papanicolas, I., Woskie, L. R., & Jha, A. K. (2018). Health Care Spending in the United States and other high-income countries. Journal of American Medical Association, 319(10), 1024–1039. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.1150
Pyatak, E. A., Carandang, K., Rice Collins, C., & Carlson, M. (2022). Optimizing occupations, habits, and routines for Health and well-being with lifestyle redesign®: A synthesis and scoping review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(5). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.049269
