ERIC Number: EJ1443749
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1932-5037
EISSN: EISSN-2168-3751
Goal Setting Moderates Behavior Change Outcomes in College Students after an Online Health Coaching Intervention
Linnea M. Horvath; Ryan D. Burns; Timothy A. Brusseau; Yang Bai; Julie E. Lucero; Jessica L. King Jensen
American Journal of Health Education, v55 n6 p383-391 2024
Background: Health coaching sessions that incorporate goal setting may help improve college students' health behaviors. Purpose: This study examined whether specific goal-setting practices moderated changes in health behaviors during an online wellness intervention in college students. Methods: Participants were 90 college students recruited from one US university. The intervention was a one-hour virtual one-on-one health coaching session where participants set two goals for either physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET)-minutes or MET-minutes), nutrition, sleep, or stress management. Self-reported baseline behaviors were collected, and follow-up surveys were completed at 6- and 12-weeks. Mixed effects models examined behavior change outcomes across the follow-up timepoints while testing the moderating effect of goal setting using interactions. Results: The Goal×Time interaction was significant for moderate MET-minutes at 1st follow-up (b = 443, p = 0.003), and for total MET-minutes at the 2nd follow-up (b = 717, p = 0.047). The Goal×Time interaction was also significant for stress management at 1st follow-up (Odds Ratio = 7.3, p = 0.042). Discussion: Participants who set physical activity and stress management goals had significantly higher physical activity and utilized more stress management techniques. Translation to Health Education Practice: The use of specific goal-setting strategies for physical activity and stress management is recommended during online health coaching sessions. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars.
Descriptors: College Students, Health Behavior, Health Programs, Health Promotion, Health Related Fitness, Online Courses, Nutrition, Goal Orientation, Student Behavior, Behavior Change, Wellness, Stress Management, Sleep, Longitudinal Studies, Time on Task, Program Evaluation
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) (NIH), Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: UL1TR002538