College professors and staff members often struggle with health issues like diabetes, high cholesterol, poor sleep, and stress. Researchers wanted to see if a wellness program created and run by students could help. Seventy-eight college workers participated in an 8-week program designed entirely by students. The results showed that people attended more wellness activities and nutrition programs after the student-led initiative compared to before. The program used friendly reminders through emails and newsletters to encourage participation. This study suggests that having students lead wellness efforts might be more effective than traditional top-down approaches from university leadership.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a wellness program created and run by students could help college workers participate more consistently in health and fitness activities
  • Who participated: 78 college faculty members and staff workers at a university who volunteered to join the 8-week program
  • Key finding: Staff members attended significantly more wellness activities (about 0.5 more activities) and nutrition programs after the student-led program compared to before. The improvements were statistically significant, meaning they weren’t due to chance.
  • What it means for you: If you work at a college, a wellness program created by students might motivate you to be more active in health activities than traditional programs. However, this is one small study, so more research is needed before making major changes.

The Research Details

This was a straightforward study where 78 college workers answered questions about their wellness participation before and after an 8-week program. The program was entirely created, run, and evaluated by students. Participants filled out surveys using a simple rating scale (like 1-5) before starting and after finishing the program. The researchers then compared the before and after answers using statistical tests to see if there were real differences.

The student-led program included weekly reminders sent through email, newsletters, flyers in mailboxes, and personal check-ins to encourage people to participate in wellness activities. This approach of gently encouraging participation is called “nudging” in research.

The study was published in Frontiers in Public Health, a peer-reviewed journal, which means other experts reviewed the work before it was published.

College workers face serious health challenges—they have higher rates of diabetes than average Americans, elevated cholesterol, insufficient sleep, and high anxiety. Traditional wellness programs run by university administrators haven’t shown strong results. This study explores whether having students create and lead these programs might be more engaging and effective, which could be a new approach for universities.

The study has some strengths: it measured real participation changes, used statistical testing to verify results weren’t due to chance, and included both pre- and post-program measurements. However, there are limitations to consider: the sample size is relatively small (78 people), there was no control group (people not in the program to compare against), and we don’t know if results would last beyond 8 weeks. The study also doesn’t explain why student-led programs might work better—it just shows they do.

What the Results Show

The study found two main positive results. First, staff members attended significantly more wellness program activities at the university and in the local community after the 8-week program. The average increase was about 0.5 more activities per person, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.029), meaning there’s only about a 3% chance this happened by random luck.

Second, both staff and faculty participated more in nutrition-related programs after the intervention. The average increase was about 0.5 more nutrition programs attended per person, and this result was even more statistically significant (p = 0.008), meaning there’s less than a 1% chance this happened randomly.

The researchers believe these improvements happened because of the “nudging” strategy—the weekly reminders, emails, newsletters, and personal check-ins kept wellness top-of-mind for participants. Over time, this gentle encouragement may have helped people develop habits of participating in wellness activities.

While the abstract doesn’t detail other outcomes, the study measured overall participation consistency, suggesting that people didn’t just attend more activities once, but showed improved patterns of regular participation. This habit-building aspect is important because one-time participation doesn’t create lasting health benefits.

This is believed to be one of the first studies examining student-led wellness programs for college workers. Most universities use top-down approaches where administrators design and implement wellness programs. This research suggests that student-created programs might be more effective, possibly because students understand their peers’ and colleagues’ needs better, or because the personal connection makes people more likely to participate.

The study has several important limitations. There was no comparison group of workers who didn’t participate in the program, so we can’t be completely sure the program caused the improvements. The sample size of 78 is relatively small, which limits how much we can generalize to other universities. The study only lasted 8 weeks, so we don’t know if people maintained these habits afterward. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported participation through surveys, which might not be completely accurate. Finally, we don’t know if these results would work at other universities with different student populations or work environments.

The Bottom Line

If you work at a college or university, consider supporting or participating in student-led wellness initiatives (moderate confidence based on this single study). Universities should consider piloting student-designed wellness programs as an alternative or complement to traditional top-down approaches (moderate confidence). The use of regular reminders and personal check-ins appears helpful for encouraging participation (moderate confidence).

College and university workers, especially those struggling with health issues, should care about this research. University administrators and wellness coordinators should consider this approach. Students interested in public health or wellness might find this model appealing. However, this research may not apply to non-college workplaces or to people who prefer independent health management without reminders.

Based on this study, you might expect to see changes in your participation habits within the 8-week program period. However, the real benefit comes from building lasting habits, which typically takes 8-12 weeks or longer. Don’t expect major health improvements in just 8 weeks—that would require sustained participation over months.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track the number of wellness activities attended per week (target: 2-3 activities weekly). Log participation in nutrition programs separately to monitor dietary engagement. Record consistency streaks to identify patterns and celebrate habit formation.
  • Set up weekly reminder notifications for wellness activities. Create a simple checklist in the app to mark completed activities. Join a peer group within the app to share progress with colleagues, mimicking the student-led community aspect of this program.
  • Review monthly participation trends to identify which types of activities you’re most likely to attend. Set progressive goals (e.g., attend 1 activity week 1, 2 activities week 2). Use the app to receive personalized nudges based on your attendance patterns, similar to the email and newsletter approach in the study.

This study shows that a student-led wellness program increased participation in wellness activities among college workers, but it is a single small study without a control group. Results may not apply to all workplaces or populations. This research does not replace medical advice from your doctor. Before starting any new wellness program or exercise routine, consult with your healthcare provider, especially if you have existing health conditions like diabetes or high cholesterol. Individual results vary, and this study only measured participation, not actual health improvements like weight loss or blood sugar control.