Effects of a peer health coaching program on college student lifestyle behaviors

Objective: Health coaching (HC) may promote healthy behaviors in incoming college students. Participants: 187 undergraduate students (76% female; age 18.6 ± 1.6) were recruited to participate in a peer HC program. Methods: Participants received four HC sessions in eight-weeks to work toward self-selected goals of physical activity (PA), diet, or stress management. PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short-Form, diet with the Eating Habits Confidence Survey, and stress with the Perceived Stress Scale. Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs investigated lifestyle behavior changes in 130 participants. Significant effects of time were reported, with a 39.6% gain in PA, 9.9% increase in dietary habit, and 16.3% decline in stress levels with moderate to large effect sizes (ηp2: 0.07-0.17; p< 0.01). Conclusion: The peer HC model promoted healthy lifestyles in college students. Additional research is needed to understand the effects of HC specifically for each goal, and student reactions to peer-led HC.