TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving physical activity, mental health outcomes, and academic retention in college students with Freshman 5 to thrive
T2 - COPE/Healthy lifestyles
AU - Melnyk, Bernadette
AU - Kelly, Stephanie
AU - Jacobson, Diana
AU - Arcoleo, Kimberly
AU - Shaibi, Gabriel
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Purpose: To assess the preliminary effects of a new course entitled Freshman 5 to Thrive/COPE Healthy Lifestyles on the cognitive beliefs, knowledge, mental health outcomes, healthy lifestyle choices, physical activity, and retention of college freshmen. Data sources: Measures included demographics, nutrition knowledge, healthy lifestyle beliefs, healthy lifestyle perceived difficulty, healthy lifestyle choices, Beck Youth Inventories-II (anxiety, depression, anxiety, and destructive behavior), step count via pedometer, and college retention. Conclusions: The experimental COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) group had greater intentions to live a healthy lifestyle (p = .02) versus the comparison group. COPE students also significantly increased their physical activity (p = .003) from baseline to postintervention and had a higher college retention rate than students who did not take the course. In addition, there was a significant decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms in COPE students whose baseline scores were elevated. Implications for practice: The Freshman 5 to Thrive Course is a promising intervention that can be used to enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors and improve mental health outcomes in college freshmen.
AB - Purpose: To assess the preliminary effects of a new course entitled Freshman 5 to Thrive/COPE Healthy Lifestyles on the cognitive beliefs, knowledge, mental health outcomes, healthy lifestyle choices, physical activity, and retention of college freshmen. Data sources: Measures included demographics, nutrition knowledge, healthy lifestyle beliefs, healthy lifestyle perceived difficulty, healthy lifestyle choices, Beck Youth Inventories-II (anxiety, depression, anxiety, and destructive behavior), step count via pedometer, and college retention. Conclusions: The experimental COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) group had greater intentions to live a healthy lifestyle (p = .02) versus the comparison group. COPE students also significantly increased their physical activity (p = .003) from baseline to postintervention and had a higher college retention rate than students who did not take the course. In addition, there was a significant decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms in COPE students whose baseline scores were elevated. Implications for practice: The Freshman 5 to Thrive Course is a promising intervention that can be used to enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors and improve mental health outcomes in college freshmen.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Lifestyle
KW - Mental health
KW - Nutrition processes
KW - Physical fitness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901983128&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84901983128&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/2327-6924.12037
DO - 10.1002/2327-6924.12037
M3 - Article
C2 - 24170429
AN - SCOPUS:84901983128
SN - 2327-6886
VL - 26
SP - 314
EP - 322
JO - Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
JF - Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
IS - 6
ER -