Evaluation of the Exercise for Wellbeing Pathway at York St John University

NCT06874699 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: ETH2425-0237
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 17
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In autumn 2024, York St John University launched a physical activity programme for university students facing mental health challenges. The purpose of this project is to conduct a mixed-methods evaluative study of this new service over a 6-month period. It is anticipated that 20-40 students will be recruited to the study, which will assess the following: assess the following: feasibility, the extent to which the service can be delivered successfully; acceptability, the extent to which the service is considered appropriate, satisfactory, or attractive by programme recipients and intervention delivery staff; fidelity, the extent to which the key service components (e.g., assessment procedures, physical activity programme) were implemented as planned and adaptations were made; preliminary effects, with relation to physical, mental and social health outcomes.

Conditions

Mental Health

Keywords

Exercise; Physical activity; Anxiety; Psychological distress; Depression; University student

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Rate of recruitment

  The average number of participants recruited per month

  Over the course of the 6-month enrollment period

• Rate of retention

  The proportion of participants who complete the study

  From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 weeks

• Rate of attendance

  Median number of supervised physical activity sessions attended amongst all participants

  From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 weeks

• Acceptability of the service

  The extent to which the service is considered appropriate, satisfactory, or attractive by programme recipients and intervention delivery staff. Assessed primarily via one-to-one interviews and an exit survey.

  At the 6-week follow-up assessment

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Fidelity

  From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 weeks

• Mean time per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

  Assessed at baseline and at the 6-week follow-up

• 10-item Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) questionnaire

  Assessed at baseline and at the 6-week follow-up

• 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

  Assessed at baseline and at the 6-week follow-up

• 38-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38)

  Assessed at baseline and at the 6-week follow-up

Study Arms (1)

Intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will comprise of university students who are enrolled on the Exercise for Wellbeing pathway and who have consented to participate in this evaluative study.

Behavioral: Physical activity programme

Interventions

Physical activity programme BEHAVIORAL

The physical activity programme will have the following features: * 6-week programme * 1-2 supervised physical activity sessions per week * 60 minutes per session, including a mixture of physical activities (e.g. walking, other aerobic physical activity, resistance, balance and stretching exercises) * Self-selected physical activity intensity * Group-based (maximum of 10 students per session) * Sessions supervised by a qualified exercise instructor. A member of the University's Wellbeing team will also be present to offer students mental health support, if needed. * Physical activity behavioral strategies incorporated into the 6-week programme (e.g., goal setting, action planning, exploring barriers and enablers, setting cues or prompts for self-directed PA) * Encouragement to be physically active away from the supervised sessions

Intervention group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Student enrolled at York St John University
• Age 18 years and over
• Undertaking a course which requires attendance at York St John University's Lord Mayor's Walk Campus
• Presenting to the student wellbeing team with mild-to-moderate mental health concerns (defined as experiencing symptoms of poor mental health such as feeling depressed or socially isolated, prolonged stress and anxiety, or experiencing academic decline that makes their daily life more difficult but maintain daily functioning) and expressing an interest in enhancing their mental health and daily functioning

You may not qualify if:

• Unwilling or unable to provide written informed consent
• Unable to attend (or to participate in) the scheduled physical activity sessions
• Unsuccessful physical activity clearance using the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q+)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• York St John University: lead

Study Sites (1)

York St John University

York, North Yorkshire, YO31 7EX, United Kingdom

Location

Related Links

• Webpage that describes the University's Exercise for Wellbeing pathway

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity; Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms

Study Officials

• Professor Garry Tew, PhD

  York St John University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 3, 2025
• First Posted: March 13, 2025
• Study Start: February 27, 2025
• Primary Completion: September 10, 2025
• Study Completion: September 10, 2025
• Last Updated: September 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

GB (1)