2.61 University of Vermont WELLNESS ENVIRONMENT, YEAR ONE: A NEUROSCIENCE-INSPIRED BEHAVIORAL CHANGE PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Objectives: College is the time that adolescents and young adults leave home to attend college. Most students and parents do not consider college as a high risk environment; however, the statistics are staggering. Each year 1,825 college students die from alcohol-related injuries; more than 690,000 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking; 97,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault; 599,000 are injured while under the influence; and approximately 150,000 develop an alcohol-related health problem. Furthermore, between 1.2 and 1.5 percent indicate that they have tried to commit suicide because of drinking or drug use. Few universities/colleges have harnessed the power of neuroscience and behavioral change to develop and implement a form of health promotion, an illness prevention approach such as the University of Vermont (UVM)Wellness Environment (WE). Methods: CAP Jim Hudziak created a program for incoming college students in which incentivized healthy behavioral change is the cornerstone. WE students live in dormitories that provide daily fitness, nutrition, yoga, mindfulness, and mentoring trainers. They are enrolled in a class called Healthy Brains/Healthy Bodies -- surviving and thriving in college in which they are introduced to the neuroscience, genomics, and behavioral change economics of common college behavior. Data collected on the inaugural 120- member WE class (2015-2016) included participation in the four pillars of WE (fitness, nutrition, yoga mindfulness, and mentoring), as well as more traditional measures of retention, violations, and property damage, and includes the National College Health Assessment. Results: WE students had higher retention rates, lower rates of alcohol and drug violations, less damage to halls, and high rates of return to the WE program for the second year. UVM WE will grow from 120 students in year 1 to 560 students in year 2. Data on the above parameters will be presented, as well as a new college health application (UVM WE) that is being developed for use on the iOS platform. Conclusions: If University and College leaders engage in designing, developing, and implementing health promotion behavioral change environments, such as UVMWE, students will choose to live in those environments and make healthier decisions, which in turn will have a lifelong impact on their personal health.