IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i17p6639-d1224139.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“Students Moving Together”, Tailored Exercise for Students Facing Mental Health Challenges—A Pilot Feasibility Study

Author

Listed:
  • Kjersti Karoline Danielsen

    (Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University in Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway)

  • Danielle Cabral

    (Healthy Life Centre, 0578 Oslo, Norway)

  • Silje Halvorsen Sveaas

    (Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University in Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway)

Abstract

An increasing number of university students are facing mental health challenges. The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of 10 weeks of supervised tailored group exercise for 60 min twice a week delivered by the student health service for students facing mental health challenges. Secondary aims were to explore changes in mental health and physical fitness from pre- to post-test. Feasibility was assessed in terms of recruitment, drop-outs, attendance, and adverse events. The secondary outcomes included symptoms of depression and anxiety, wellbeing, satisfaction with life, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular endurance/strength. A total of 13 university students with self-reported mental health challenges, aged 20–39 years, were recruited during a four-week period. Ten (77%) of these completed the intervention and post-test as planned, and no adverse events occurred. There was a significant average reduction of 20% in symptoms of depression and anxiety ( p = 0.008), and non-significant improvements of 21% in well-being and 16% in satisfaction with life were found. On average, cardiorespiratory fitness ( p = 0.01) and muscular strength (push-ups test, p = 0.01, and sit-ups test, p = 0.02) increased. In conclusion, a 10-week tailored exercise intervention delivered by the student mental health service was found to be feasible, and beneficial for mental health and physical fitness in students facing mental health challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Kjersti Karoline Danielsen & Danielle Cabral & Silje Halvorsen Sveaas, 2023. "“Students Moving Together”, Tailored Exercise for Students Facing Mental Health Challenges—A Pilot Feasibility Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(17), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:17:p:6639-:d:1224139
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/17/6639/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/17/6639/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kjersti Karoline Danielsen & May Helena Øydna & Sofia Strömmer & Kenneth Haugjord, 2021. "“It’s More Than Just Exercise”: Tailored Exercise at a Community-Based Activity Center as a Liminal Space along the Road to Mental Health Recovery and Citizenship," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Kenneth F Schulz & Douglas G Altman & David Moher & for the CONSORT Group, 2010. "CONSORT 2010 Statement: Updated Guidelines for Reporting Parallel Group Randomised Trials," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(3), pages 1-7, March.
    3. Cappelen, Alexander W & Charness, Gary & Ekström, Mathias & Gneezy, Uri & Tungodden, Bertil, 2017. "Exercise Improves Academic Performance," Working Paper Series 1180, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michael J. Fell & Alexandra Schneiders & David Shipworth, 2019. "Consumer Demand for Blockchain-Enabled Peer-to-Peer Electricity Trading in the United Kingdom: An Online Survey Experiment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-25, October.
    2. Su Keng Tan & Wai Keung Leung & Alexander Tin Hong Tang & Roger A Zwahlen, 2017. "Effects of mandibular setback with or without maxillary advancement osteotomies on pharyngeal airways: An overview of systematic reviews," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Ángel Enrique & Juana Bretón-López & Guadalupe Molinari & Rosa M. Baños & Cristina Botella, 2018. "Efficacy of an adaptation of the Best Possible Self intervention implemented through positive technology: a randomized control trial," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(3), pages 671-689, September.
    4. Gerben ter Riet & Paula Chesley & Alan G Gross & Lara Siebeling & Patrick Muggensturm & Nadine Heller & Martin Umbehr & Daniela Vollenweider & Tsung Yu & Elie A Akl & Lizzy Brewster & Olaf M Dekkers &, 2013. "All That Glitters Isn't Gold: A Survey on Acknowledgment of Limitations in Biomedical Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-6, November.
    5. Iranzu Mugueta-Aguinaga & Begonya Garcia-Zapirain, 2017. "FRED: Exergame to Prevent Dependence and Functional Deterioration Associated with Ageing. A Pilot Three-Week Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-18, November.
    6. Spyridon N Papageorgiou & Georgios N Antonoglou & George K Sándor & Theodore Eliades, 2017. "Randomized clinical trials in orthodontics are rarely registered a priori and often published late or not at all," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-13, August.
    7. Milagros Molero-Zafra & María Teresa Mitjans-Lafont & María Jesús Hernández-Jiménez & Marián Pérez-Marín, 2022. "Psychological Intervention in Women Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: An Open Study—Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing EMDR Psychotherapy and Trauma-Based Cognitive Therapy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Eun-Hi Kong & Myoungsuk Kim & Seonho Kim, 2021. "Effects of a Web-Based Educational Program Regarding Physical Restraint Reduction in Long-Term Care Settings on Nursing Students: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-10, June.
    9. Xiaoxuan Gong & Shaowen Tang & Jiangjin Li & Xiwen Zhang & Xiaoyi Tian & Shuren Ma, 2017. "Antithrombotic therapy strategies for atrial fibrillation patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and network meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-13, October.
    10. Stavros Petrou & Oliver Rivero-Arias & Helen Dakin & Louise Longworth & Mark Oppe & Robert Froud & Alastair Gray, 2015. "Preferred Reporting Items for Studies Mapping onto Preference-Based Outcome Measures: The MAPS Statement," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 35(6), pages 1-8, August.
    11. Alexander P. L. Martindale & Carrie D. Llewellyn & Richard O. Visser & Benjamin Ng & Victoria Ngai & Aditya U. Kale & Lavinia Ferrante Ruffano & Robert M. Golub & Gary S. Collins & David Moher & Melis, 2024. "Concordance of randomised controlled trials for artificial intelligence interventions with the CONSORT-AI reporting guidelines," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Juliane Piasseschi de Bernardin Gonçalves & Giancarlo Lucchetti & Paulo Rossi Menezes & Homero Vallada, 2017. "Complementary religious and spiritual interventions in physical health and quality of life: A systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-21, October.
    13. Jovana Kuzmanovic Pficer & Slobodan Dodic & Vojkan Lazic & Goran Trajkovic & Natasa Milic & Biljana Milicic, 2017. "Occlusal stabilization splint for patients with temporomandibular disorders: Meta-analysis of short and long term effects," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, February.
    14. Weißbach Rafael, 2016. "Kommentar zu „Die Interpretation des p-Wertes – Grundsätzliche Missverständnisse“," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 236(5), pages 577-580, October.
    15. Wendy Hens & Dirk Vissers & Nick Verhaeghe & Jan Gielen & Luc Van Gaal & Jan Taeymans, 2021. "Unsupervised Exercise Training Was Not Found to Improve the Metabolic Health or Phenotype over a 6-Month Dietary Intervention: A Randomised Controlled Trial with an Embedded Economic Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.
    16. Christopher Snyder & Ran Zhuo, 2018. "Sniff Tests as a Screen in the Publication Process: Throwing out the Wheat with the Chaff," NBER Working Papers 25058, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Maria Giné-Garriga & Carme Martin-Borràs & Anna Puig-Ribera & Carlos Martín-Cantera & Mercè Solà & Antonio Cuesta-Vargas & on behalf of the PPAF Group, 2013. "The Effect of a Physical Activity Program on the Total Number of Primary Care Visits in Inactive Patients: A 15-Month Randomized Controlled Trial," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-8, June.
    18. Clovis Mariano Faggion Jr & Yun-Chun Wu & Moritz Scheidgen & Yu-Kang Tu, 2015. "Effect of Risk of Bias on the Effect Size of Meta-Analytic Estimates in Randomized Controlled Trials in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-9, September.
    19. Salvador Angosto & Jerónimo García-Fernández & Irena Valantine & Moisés Grimaldi-Puyana, 2020. "The Intention to Use Fitness and Physical Activity Apps: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-25, August.
    20. Nahid Norouzi-Gheidari & Alejandro Hernandez & Philippe S. Archambault & Johanne Higgins & Lise Poissant & Dahlia Kairy, 2019. "Feasibility, Safety and Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Exergame System to Supplement Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Post-Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial and Proof of Principle," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-11, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:17:p:6639-:d:1224139. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.