A Multiple Health Behavior Change Internet Program for College Students
Condition: Sedentary Lifestyle; Stress, Psychological; Healthy Eating
MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      The objective of this Phase II research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a
      population-based, individually tailored multiple health behavior change program for exercise,
      healthy eating, and stress management in a randomized trial including approximately 1,500
      college students.
    

Detailed description: 
      Despite the importance of shaping a solid foundation of health behaviors early in life,
      college students have been understudied as a population for health promotion programs. This
      study represents innovative research for impacting the promotion of healthy lifestyles among
      college students. The objective is to develop and test a population-based, multiple health
      behavior change program for college students, liveWell: A Healthy Foundation for Life.

      The multiple behavior multimedia program will offer Transtheoretical Model-based (TTM)
      computer tailored feedback on regular exercise, fruit and vegetable consumption, and
      effective stress management, as well as providing access to a stage-matched dynamic web
      portal. The TTM is a comprehensive model that integrates ideas from several different
      theories and approaches to change (hence the name "Transtheoretical") to explain and predict
      how and when individuals end high-risk behaviors or adopt healthy ones. Thirty years of
      research has consistently demonstrated that change is a process that unfolds over time
      through a series of stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and
      Maintenance. It matches specific principles and processes of change to each person's stage of
      change and guides individuals through the change process. The TTM has been applied throughout
      the world to behaviors such as smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, bullying prevention,
      weight management, and medication adherence.

      A primary goal of this Phase II grant is to assess the effectiveness of liveWell in a
      randomized trial including 1680 students from 2 large universities in the U.S. Students will
      be recruited via freshman orientation classes and will complete follow-up assessments at
      6-and 12-months. Effectiveness will be assessed by comparing improvements in continuous
      outcome measures and movement to public health criteria for each behavior. This intervention
      offers a cost-effective, science-based, and easily deliverable solution to improve multiple
      health behaviors, and overall health and well-being, of college students.
    

Intervention name(s): liveWell: A healthy foundation for life
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): liveWell is a unique online, mobile-compatible, multi-media, evidence-based program designed to help college students exercise, eat healthy, and manage stress. At the core of the Transtheoretical Model-based intervention is a computer-tailored behavior change intervention (CTI) that analyzes students' responses to reliable and valid assessments of key behavior change constructs using empirically derived pre-programmed decision rules. The rules determine which feedback users receive on how they are doing compared to their peers in their same stage. At follow-up, feedback is further tailored to how students are doing compared to their last session.
In addition to the CTI, completed three times during the semester, liveWell includes a dynamic portal that is populated with a variety of engaging and interactive stage-matched activities and resources. The portal provides more content and specifics on how to apply each of the processes and principles of change introduced in the CTI.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention