Goal Setting Moderates Behavior Change Outcomes in College Students After an Online Health Coaching Intervention

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Health coaching sessions that incorporate goal setting may help improve college students' health behaviors. Purpose This study examined whether specific goal-setting practices moderated changes in health behaviors during an online wellness intervention in college students. Methods Participants were 90 college students recruited from one US university. The intervention was a one-hour virtual one-on-one health coaching session where participants set two goals for either physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET)-minutes or MET-minutes), nutrition, sleep, or stress management. Self-reported baseline behaviors were collected, and follow-up surveys were completed at 6- and 12-weeks. Mixed effects models examined behavior change outcomes across the follow-up timepoints while testing the moderating effect of goal setting using interactions. Results The Goal×Time interaction was significant for moderate MET-minutes at 1st follow-up (b = 443, p = .003), and for total MET-minutes at the 2nd follow-up (b = 717, p = .047). The Goal×Time interaction was also significant for stress management at 1st follow-up (Odds Ratio = 7.3, p = .042). Discussion Participants who set physical activity and stress management goals had significantly higher physical activity and utilized more stress management techniques. Translation to Health Education Practice The use of specific goal-setting strategies for physical activity and stress management is recommended during online health coaching sessions.