title: An Electronic Wellness Program to Improve Diet and Exercise in College Students: A Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, college students are faced with significant challenges to their health habits. Independence, stress, and perceived lack of time by college students have been known to result in poor eating and exercise habits, which can lead to increased disease risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and to determine preliminary efficacy of an electronic wellness program in improving diet and physical activity in college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 24-week diet and physical activity program was delivered via email to 148 college students. The intervention involved weekly, tailored, and interactive diet and physical activity goals. The control group received nondiet and nonexercise-related health fact sheets. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, as well as food frequency and physical activity surveys were conducted at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Students' choice of fruit as a snack was also monitored at study visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students were 18-20 years old, 69% female, and from a diverse college campus (46% Caucasian, 23% Asian, 20% African American, 11% other). At week 24, 84% of students reported reading at least half of all emails. Mean change (standard error [SE]) from baseline of saturated fat intake was marginally significant between the treatment groups at week 24, 0.7 (SE 0.42) % kcal for control and -0.3 (SE 0.30) % kcal for intervention (P=0.048). A significant difference in percent of snacks chosen that were fruit (χ(2)1, N=221 = 11.7, P<0.001) was detected between the intervention and control group at week 24.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of an electronic wellness program is feasible in college students and resulted in a decrease in saturated fat intake and an increase in observed fruit intake compared to a control group.
authors.affiliation: Children's National Health System, Clinical Research Center, Washington, DC, United States. aschweit@childrensnational.org.
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5111-154X
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Jamisha T
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3134-8416
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2991-1791
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Kai Y
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1544-8898
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Eleanor R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8490-6798
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Mackey
keywords: college students, eHealth, telemedicine, diet, intervention studies, obesity, exercise