Abstract
Background: Incidence of stress, anxiety and depression have risen dramatically among the young adult population. Identifying methods of preventing and treating these problems could reduce the disease burden and improve quality of life. Research indicates that self-efficacy is positively related to physical activity (PA) levels and both are inversely related to stress, anxiety, and depression and can be utilized to treat these symptoms.
Purpose: To design an intervention to improve self-efficacy that will assist college students complaining of stress, anxiety and depression, and not meeting national recommendations for PA, to increase their level of PA in order to reduce psychological symptoms.
Method: Undergraduate students (n=10), males (n=3) and females (n=7), 18-25 years old were enrolled in Fall 2019. A self-efficacy intervention was utilized to assist students to increase PA for eight weeks. Symptoms were evaluated pre- and post-intervention.
Results: The cohort of participants consisted of 8 undergraduates after excluding 2 students who were not cleared for physical activities and one dropped before the start of the intervention. Only 4 participants reported their post-intervention scores. Paired t-tests were conducted to test for the difference between pre and post scores and demonstrated that the change in the depression score was statistically significant at 5% (p-value = 0.0464 < 0.05).
Conclusions: The sample size was small but reduction in depression scores was statistically significant. Methods for engaging a larger portion of this population were identified.
Sigma Membership
Lambda Rho at-Large
Type
DNP Capstone Project
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Depression, Self-efficacy, Anxiety, Students, Exercise
Advisor
Theresa Chenot
Degree
DNP
Degree Grantor
Jacksonville University
Degree Year
2020
Recommended Citation
Byrd, Timothy, "An evaluation of an intervention designed to assist undergraduate students to increase physical activity levels" (2020). DNP and Student Works. 123.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dnps/123
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Faculty Approved: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2020-04-13
Full Text of Presentation
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