Wellness Improvements Following a 15-Week Lifelong Fitness and Wellness Class

Abstract

ABSTRACT Wellness behaviors enacted during the college years may have long-term impacts on adult health; as such, it is critical that college students be educated regarding health behaviors and ways to improve their wellness. One way to educate students in reference to improved health practices is through college/university instructional physical activity programs that include a didactic wellness component. Limited research is available on the impact that courses of this nature have on student wellness outcomes. To assess the impact of a 15-week fitness and wellness course on perceived wellness in emerging adults, a convenience sample of undergraduate students (N = 334) enrolled in a general education Lifelong Fitness and Wellness class completed an instrument consisting of the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS), the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3), and demographic questions at the beginning and end of the Fall 2018 semester. Data were collected using a web-based survey administered through a password-protected Qualtrics account. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the goodness of fit of participants’ responses on the PWS to the proposed model and then the data were analyzed using a pretest/posttest statistical design. Mixed analyses of covariance revealed improvements in overall wellness, emotional wellness, and physical wellness from pretest to posttest with no impact on lecture delivery mode or activity participation type. These results indicate that general wellness and fitness courses may positively impact perceived wellness in college students.