An 8-Week Peer Health Coaching Intervention among College Students: A Pilot Randomized Study

Area of Science:

• Health Behavior
• Psychology
• Student Wellness

Background:

• College students face challenges in maintaining physical activity, healthy diets, adequate sleep, and mental well-being.
• Peer coaching offers a potential low-cost, scalable intervention for promoting healthy behaviors in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an 8-week peer coaching program on physical activity, diet, sleep, social isolation, and mental health among US college students.
• To determine if peer coaching effectively enhances wellness behaviors and psychological outcomes compared to a control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 52 college students, with 28 in the peer coaching group and 24 in the control group.
• The peer coaching group received weekly sessions focusing on self-selected wellness domains using techniques like motivational interviewing and goal setting.
• Measurements included physical activity, dietary self-efficacy, sleep quality, social isolation, positive affect, well-being, anxiety, and cognitive function.

Main Results:

• No significant time-by-group interaction effects were observed for the overall intervention group.
• Significant main effects of group difference were found for moderate and total physical activity.
• Participants with a physical activity goal showed a significant increase in vigorous physical activity (METs), while those with a stress goal reported higher positive affect and well-being.

Conclusions:

• Peer coaching demonstrates a promising effect on enhancing physical activity levels, particularly vigorous activity, among college students.
• Setting specific goals within the peer coaching framework appears crucial for driving positive behavioral changes and improving psychological well-being.
• The findings suggest peer coaching is a viable strategy for supporting student health and wellness initiatives.