References
Engaging nursing students with a behaviour change intervention designed to improve their lifestyle
Abstract
Background:
In common with the general population, nursing students struggle to live a healthy lifestyle.
Aims:
To recruit students in a behaviour change intervention, using the COM-B model of behaviour change to understand engagement.
Methods:
Nursing students were invited to complete an online survey assessing height, weight, BMI, physical activity, lifestyle satisfaction, motivation for leading a healthy life, and quality of life. Those identified as overweight or not physically active were offered a webinar and social media site to support setting personal goals and boosting motivation to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Findings:
25% of invited students engaged with the interventions, 19% attending a webinar and 19% joining the social media site. No statistically reliable differences between those who engaged and those who did not were identified.
Conclusion:
Current models of behaviour change do not predict engagement. Interventions may need to be integrated into the curriculum to elicit change.
The health and health-related behaviours of undergraduate nursing students have been widely explored and reported within the UK and internationally over the past two decades. Similar patterns emerge from these studies' findings, including a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (Blake et al, 2021), low levels of physical activity (Malik et al, 2011), unhealthy diets (Rodriguez-Gazquez et al, 2017), frequent use of tobacco and alcohol (Shekhar et al, 2022), and irregular sleeping habits (Evans et al, 2019). Behaviour change interventions intended to improve nursing students' lifestyles face a problem of low uptake (Wills and Kelly, 2017), so the authors sought to provide motivational support, as advocated by the COM-B model of behaviour change (Michie et al, 2011). However, they found that they faced a similar problem, of being unable to persuade student nurses to take advantage of the motivational support. This article reports those experiences, to inform both those seeking to improve student nurses' health and wellbeing, and those using the COM-B model for other behaviour change interventions.
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