Daily motivational text messages impact on college students' nutritional awareness and physical activity levels

Objective: To examine the effect of receiving daily motivational text messages on the change in college students' nutritional choices and levels of physical activity. Participants: Two hundred and one university students participated in an eight-week experimental/control group study. Methods: All participants received a brochure that contained nutritional and physical-activity information. The survey consisted of three parts: demographic information, health and diet, and physical activity. All participants completed a self-administered survey at the beginning and the end of the eight-week study. The experimental group participants received a daily motivational-text message. Results: There were significant interactions between group and time on most of the health and diet items, but there were no significant interactions on the physical activity items. Conclusions: It is crucial to monitor and promote college students' nutrition and physical activity behaviors. The study findings will be vital in designing interventions that enhance college students' general health.