Organizational Implementation of Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus Programs

ABSTRACT Introduction The Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) program, a physical activity initiative for universities, has a high potential for scalability and sustainability. Through EIM-OC’s recognition program, campuses achieve Gold-level status through the implementation of exercise referral. The current implementation and effectiveness of EIM-OC referral programs to increase student physical activity or health is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of the EIM-OC referral process and current assessments of effectiveness. Methods A cross-sectional survey of EIM-OC representatives currently at Gold-level campuses was conducted between April 1 and August 1, 2023, using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) framework. Results Thirty-three of 85 contacted campuses submitted complete responses. Of the eight campuses reporting all physical activity screening information, a total of 5682 individuals were screened. Of those who were screened, 356 (6.3%) individuals were referred to an exercise professional, with 135 (38.0%) following through with the referral. Half of campuses collected additional physical activity information (e.g., self-report surveys or accelerometers), 30% collected physical health (e.g., anthropometrics or blood) and/or mental health (e.g., depression symptoms or quality of life) measures, and 15% collected educational outcomes (e.g., grades). Approximately 20% of campuses reported a willingness to share data in a repository, depending on the measure, with others sharing concerns of confidentiality and institutional review board limitations. Only 36% of responding campuses tracked physical activity or health outcomes following the initial visit to assess effectiveness. Exercise programs included personal training only ( n = 10), exercise prescription/health coaching ( n = 12), or both ( n = 8). Conclusion Although Gold-level campuses are generally successful in the assessment of physical activity, strategies are needed to improve the reach of EIM-OC programs, specifically implementation strategies to increase the number of individuals screened and successful follow-ups. Additional standardized measures and tracking are needed to determine the effectiveness of EIM-OC programs on improving student physical activity and health.