A Causal Comparative Study of the Effects of Physical Activity Course Enrollment on College Students’ Perceived Wellness, Mental Health, and Basic Psychological Needs

On college campuses, there has been an increase in mental health needs among students. In 2019, 56% of students attended counseling for mental health concerns compared to 46% of students who attended in 2010 (The Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2019). Colleges have begun focusing on student wellness to assist their students with the capability to thrive during their college years and beyond (LaFountaine et al., 2006). Basic psychological needs must be met to achieve psychological growth and wellbeing (Ryan & Deci, 2000b; Zhang et al., 2012). Taliaferro et al. (2009) found evidence of an association between physical activity and reduced risk of hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior among college students. The purpose of this study was to assess whether college students currently enrolled in physical activity (PA) courses show better wellness and psychological distress, and basic psychological needs than students who have not taken the courses. This study uses a casual comparative survey design with a convenience sample of recruited undergraduate students (N=172). Half of the participants were enrolled in elective PA courses offered through the university’s PA program. All participants will take the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item (EUROHIS-QOL; Schmidt et al., 2006), the Kessler Psychological Scale -10 (K10; Kessler et al., 2002), and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale – In General (BPNSFS; Chen et al., 2015) to assess wellness, psychological distress, and basic psychological needs. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis. The findings from this study will provide college health services professionals (e.g., counseling and wellness centers’ staff and faculty) with relevant information on the potential merits of PA programming as an intervention strategy for supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing

Recommendations for Administrators’ Involvement in School-Based Health Promotion: A Scoping Review

School administrator involvement is recognized as a key factor in the extent to which school health promotion programs and initiatives are successfully implemented. The aims of this scoping review are to: (a) Identify existing documents that contain recommendations regarding the involvement of school administrators in school-based health promotion; (b) distill and summarize the recommendations; (c) examine differences in the recommendations by targeted professional level, professional group, health promotion content focus, and by whether the recommendations are evidence-based or opinion-based; and (d) evaluate the research informing the recommendations. We drew upon the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines to conduct the review. Our team conducted a comprehensive literature search with no date or geographic restrictions from January 2018 through April 2018 using four electronic databases: Academic Search Complete, Google Scholar, Physical Education Index, and PubMed. Eligibility criteria included any online documents, in English, that contained recommendations targeting school administrators’ (e.g., principals, assistant principals, superintendents) involvement (e.g., support, endorsement, advocacy) in school health programming (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, wellness). The search yielded a total of 1225 records, which we screened by title, then by abstract, and finally by full text, resulting in 61 records that met inclusion criteria. Data (e.g., recommendations, targeted contexts, targeted administrators) from these records were extracted for a content analysis. Included records contained 80 distinct recommendations, which we summarized into three themes (Collaboration, Advocacy, and Support) using a content analysis. Separate content analyses revealed no qualitative differences in the recommendations by professional level, professional group, or content focus, or by whether the recommendations were evidence-based or opinion-based. Twenty-one of the included records were peer-reviewed research articles. Using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), we appraised qualitative research articles the highest and mixed methods research articles the lowest. This review provides a basis for future research and professional practice aiming to increase school administrators’ involvement in school-based health promotion

Genee\u27 Glascoe, \u2712

Genee’ Glascoe was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland. She is currently a psychology major at the University of Central Florida, with a minor in criminal justice, and a certificate in behavior forensics. From a young age, Genee’ has always been interested in understanding why individuals turn to crime. Her research interests are in juvenile delinquency, offender rehabilitation, and understanding the mental state of individuals who faced wrongful convictions. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she plans to go on to earn her Ph.D. in clinical psychology.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/mcnair_gallery/1056/thumbnail.jp