Examining health behavior change in a college health course: improvements in intention and motivation to change

Purpose College health courses provide one point of intervention for health behavior promotion. Little research has examined both motivational and behavioral aspects of change across multiple health behaviors. The present study examined changes in health behaviors, motivation and intentions across outcomes of diet, exercise, smoking and stress management. The course was adapted to include motivational interviewing (MI) consistent content. Design/methodology/approach Students in Health Psychology (N = 477) completed surveys assessing health behaviors and importance, confidence and intention to change behaviors at the beginning and end of semester. Findings No change was observed on measures of diet, exercise, smoking or stress. Results demonstrated an increase in the number of respondents indicating that they intended to change or were already achieving the indicated behavior for diet and exercise, but not smoking or stress management. Increases were observed in importance and confidence for diet and exercise change and in confidence, but not importance, for stress management and smoking cessation. Research limitations/implications Results suggest that attitude and motivation to change may shift throughout the semester for some health behaviors. Practical implications Educators in health education may consider how health behavior theory and intervention can inform pedagogy. Originality/value Adapting courses for health promotion may be effective for enhancing students’ motivation to change. Assessing precursors of change (motivation, intention) may add important context to behavior change research in health courses.