Feasibility And Preliminary Efficacy Of A Web-based Intervention For Insufficiently Active College Students

Young adults are often overlooked as a healthy age group; however, physical activity decreases substantially during this life stage. The development of effective, scalable physical activity interventions is critical to promoting health and well-being in this population. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week web-based physical activity intervention for young adult college students who are insufficiently active. METHODS: This study was conducted using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design during the Spring of 2021. The sample included 21 insufficiently active college students, ages 18 - 24, from a large, urban Midwestern U.S. university. The 8-week web-based intervention was grounded in the Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) framework and included weekly lessons, manual entry goal and step trackers, a resources library, and a private social media group led by a wellness coach. Data were collected via pre-post web-based questionnaires, web-analytics, and post-intervention interviews. Feasibility outcomes included demand, acceptability, practicality, and implementation. Preliminary efficacy outcomes included physical activity and M-PAC processes. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Wilcoxon signed rank tests, Hedge's g, and qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants reacted positively to the program, content, and features, except for the step-tracker and private social media group. Among participants who completed the post-test (n = 14), 92.9% increased their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, resulting in a statistically significant increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (Mpre = 54.82[87.55], Mpost = 192.32[148.45], t13 = 3.584, p = .003, g = 0.930 [0.299, 1.538]). Substantial pre-post trends were present in three M-PAC processes: 93.3% of participants increased their behavioral regulation (z = -3.30, p = .001), 73.3% increased their physical activity habit (z = -2.50, p = .012), and 73.3% increased their physical activity identity (z = -2.18, p = .029). CONCLUSION: The findings supported the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the intervention for insufficiently active young adult college students. Supported by the Sigma Foundation for Nursing - 2019 Sigma Small Grant