A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of a Web-Based Intervention on Perceived Stress and Diet Quality Among First-Year University Students

Backgrounde-Health interventions can potentially improve health care. My Viva Plan® (MVP) is a web-based program that focuses on mindfulness, nutrition, and physical fitness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of this platform on stress indicators and diet quality among first-year uni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Telemedicine reports Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 327 - 335
Main Authors:	Mota, Joao F., Lopes, Lorena C.C., Trottier, Claire F., Johnson, Steve T., Lieffers, Jessica, Prado, Carla M.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor New Rochelle, NY 10801 USA Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 01-10-2023 Mary Ann Liebert
Subjects:	internet-based intervention mindfulness Original Research stress wellness programs
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Backgrounde-Health interventions can potentially improve health care. My Viva Plan® (MVP) is a web-based program that focuses on mindfulness, nutrition, and physical fitness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of this platform on stress indicators and diet quality among first-year university students.MethodsNinety-seven university students were enrolled in a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Participants were randomized into control (n = 49) and MVP (n = 48) groups. Perceived stress was measured using the self-report Stress Indicator Questionnaire. Diet quality was assessed by the nutrient-rich foods index, and body composition was assessed by a hand-to-foot, multifrequency, bioelectrical impedance analysis.ResultsThere were no differences in physical, sleep, behavioral, emotional, and personal habit indicators between groups. Diet quality and body composition were similar between groups, except among women in the MVP group with decreased body fat (-1.2 ± 2.6 kg, p < 0.05). Participant engagement was low: 50% of the MVP group did not access the platform.ConclusionsThe MVP web-based intervention was not associated with improvements in stress indicators, diet quality, and body composition, likely due to the characteristics of our cohort of healthy young individuals. Future studies should focus on enhancing motivational approaches to explore the potential of e-health interventions that improve health behavior.Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03579264A.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 These authors contributed equally to this article. iORCID ID (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3609-5641).
ISSN:	2692-4366 2692-4366
DOI:	10.1089/tmr.2023.0041