Health Behaviors of Student Community Research Partners When Designing and Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention on College Campuses

Authors

Makenzie L. Barr, West Virginia University
Sarah E. Colby, The University of Tennessee
Kristin Riggsbee, The University of Tennessee
Anne E. Mathews, University of Florida
Melissa J. Vilaro, University of Florida
Kendra K. Kattlemann, South Dakota State University
Melissa D. Olfert, West Virginia UniversityFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6332-215X

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8298-3690

N/A

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3504-5826

N/A

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6186-2822

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6686-3891

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

College/Unit

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department/Program/Center

Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Abstract

Few studies work with college students as equal partners in all aspects of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and even less evaluate behaviors of those college partners. The current study aimed to examine health behaviors of students by designing and implementing a peer-led, social marketing campaign (Get Fruved) to promote healthier lifestyles on their campuses. Enrolled students (n = 376) were trained to either design and implement a health promotion intervention (Social Marketing and Environmental Interventionists; SMEI, n = 78), be peer mentors (PM; n = 205), or serve as control participants (n = 93). Students’ behaviors (dietary, activity, and stress) and anthropometrics were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The population was predominately Caucasian, female, and between 19 and 20 years old. On average, fruit and vegetable consumption slightly decreased across all time points for each group with control at a larger decline. Students International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) scores showed students met recommended amounts of activity throughout the intervention, with males reporting higher activity levels. Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) analyses indicated 19 year olds had higher stress along with females had higher than males. Students involved in a CBPR approach to be trained, design, and implement a lifestyle intervention can achieve maintenance of health behaviors throughout a college year when compared to control students.

Digital Commons Citation

Barr, Makenzie L.; Colby, Sarah E.; Riggsbee, Kristin; Mathews, Anne E.; Vilaro, Melissa J.; Kattlemann, Kendra K.; and Olfert, Melissa D., "Health Behaviors of Student Community Research Partners When Designing and Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention on College Campuses" (2018). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 1341.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/1341

Source Citation

Barr, M., Colby, S., Riggsbee, K., Leischner, K., Mathews, A., Vilaro, M., Kattelmann, K., & Olfert, M. (2018). Health Behaviors of Student Community Research Partners When Designing and Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention on College Campuses. Behavioral Sciences, 8(11), 99. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8110099

Comments

1. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).