The Effect of a College Wellness Program on Key Clinical Outcomes

An abstract of a study by Ziegler et al, measuring the impact of a college wellness program--HealthyU on key clinical outcomes and health behaviors, is presented. A prospective design using a convenience sample of female college freshman to determine the impact of a 12 week college wellness program on clinical outcome measures. They conclude that exercise and fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly in the Healthy U group. Total weight gain in the HealthyU group was less than what has been reported in similar studies, and the study period may need to be of longer duration to note significant differences in body measurements. A long-term study may yield more positive results. Future research should focus on wellness behaviors, such as exercise and fruit and vegetable intake that influence healthy lifestyle changes.