title: Improving physical activity, mental health outcomes, and academic retention in college students with Freshman 5 to Thrive: COPE/Healthy Lifestyles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the preliminary effects of a new course entitled Freshman 5 to Thrive/COPE Healthy Lifestyles on the cognitive beliefs, knowledge, mental health outcomes, healthy lifestyle choices, physical activity, and retention of college freshmen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures included demographics, nutrition knowledge, healthy lifestyle beliefs, healthy lifestyle perceived difficulty, healthy lifestyle choices, Beck Youth Inventories-II (anxiety, depression, anxiety, and destructive behavior), step count via pedometer, and college retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) group had greater intentions to live a healthy lifestyle (p = .02) versus the comparison group. COPE students also significantly increased their physical activity (p = .003) from baseline to postintervention and had a higher college retention rate than students who did not take the course. In addition, there was a significant decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms in COPE students whose baseline scores were elevated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Freshman 5 to Thrive Course is a promising intervention that can be used to enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors and improve mental health outcomes in college freshmen.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melnyk
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arcoleo
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaibi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009043:Motor Activity; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Mental health; adolescent; lifestyle; nutrition processes; physical fitness