Can curriculum-integrated health education improve postgraduate student well-Being? One-group pretest–posttest design

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a curriculum-integrated educational intervention focused on psychosocial well-being is associated with changes in perceived stress and quality of life among postgraduate students. METHODS: This pre-experimental study (one-group pretest-posttest design without a control group) was conducted over one academic semester. A total of 31 postgraduate students were enrolled. The intervention consisted of a curriculum-integrated course addressing mental health, self-care, and well-being strategies through structured weekly sessions. Outcomes included perceived stress (PSS-10), quality of life (WHOQOL-bref), self-compassion, and life satisfaction. Pre-post comparisons were performed using paired-sample t-tests, with 95% confidence intervals and effect sizes (Cohen's d). RESULTS: A total of 31 postgraduate students were enrolled and completed both baseline and post-intervention assessments, with no loss to follow-up. A statistically significant reduction in perceived stress was observed (mean difference: -3.63; 95% CI: -6.08 to - 1.18; p = 0.005; d = 0.59). Overall quality of life showed a statistically significant increase (mean difference: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.27; p = 0.010; d = 0.30). No statistically significant changes were observed for self-compassion, life satisfaction, or health satisfaction (p > 0.05). Domain-specific analyses of quality of life showed no significant changes in the environmental domain (p = 0.325), while other domains presented identical mean values at both time points, precluding inferential analysis. CONCLUSION: The curriculum-integrated educational intervention was associated with reduced perceived stress and improved overall quality of life among postgraduate students. Given the pre-experimental design and absence of a control group, causal inferences cannot be established. These findings suggest that curriculum-based strategies may represent a feasible approach to promote psychosocial well-being in postgraduate education.