Comparing the Effectiveness of Individual Counselling and Activity Monitors to Promote Physical Activity among University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Physical activity (PA) promotion among university students seems to be important to establish a lifelong healthy lifestyle (Carney, Mutrie, & McNeish, 2000). Yet, research in the field is limited in quantity, quality and generalizability. The present study tests the effectiveness of two strategies to promote PA among university students of a city-based university. 33 students were recruited and randomized into three groups: the first group attended individual counselling sessions (ICG), the second group used PA monitors (PAMG) and the third served as control group (CG). Individual counselling was developed according to the social cognitive theory (Bandura, 2004) and the transtheoretical model of behaviour change (Prochaska, & DiClemente, 1983) and was delivered via videoconferencing calls. Interventions lasted 12 weeks. Measures of PA (self-reported and recorded by means of ActiGraph-GT3X+ monitors) and the stages of change of participants were taken at baseline (t0), after the intervention (t1), and after a 3-month follow-up (t3). Students in the ICG increased self-reported energy expenditure between t0 and t1, and maintained this improvement to t2. Progression through stages of change was observed in ICG at t1, followed by some relapses at t2. No significant differences were found in PAM and in CG. Results suggest that the individual counselling program was effective to promote PA among university students, whereas the individual use of PA monitors had no effects.