None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 10-week, individualised exercise-based wellbeing program designed for students with disability at an Australian university. Conducted through a mixed-methods pilot study, the program will be delivered by Accreditted Exercise Physiologists both online via Zoom and on-campus, collaborating closely with other student support services. The program being investigated is funded by the administrative division of the university and will assess various aspects such as program retention, adherence, resource requirements, and participant satisfaction. It is expected to improve participants' quality of life, psychosocial health, health behaviors, and physical health measures. The study will involve 20 participants, recruited through the university's accessibility and disability services, and will be conducted from July to November 2024.
Interventions
The intervention will consist of ten (10) weeks of individually prescribed exercise programming delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs). The program will be co-designed with each participant during a baseline consultation (Week 1) to ensure personalisation and address individual needs and preferences. A 60-minute in-person consultation at the on-campus fitness and aquatic center will be conducted to gather baseline data and co-design the individual exercise program. Participants wi
The intervention will consist of ten (10) weeks of individually prescribed exercise programming delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs). The program will be co-designed with each participant during a baseline consultation (Week 1) to ensure personalisation and address individual needs and preferences. A 60-minute in-person consultation at the on-campus fitness and aquatic center will be conducted to gather baseline data and co-design the individual exercise program. Participants will receive ten (10) one-on-one supervised sessions with an AEP, lasting between 15-60 minutes each. Sessions can be delivered via telehealth or face-to-face at the on-campus facility, based on participant preference. The program will prescribe light to moderate-intensity exercise, targeting a perceived exertion of 10-12 on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale (out of 20). A mix of aerobic (e.g., treadmill, stationary bikes, rowing machines, walking, swimming, yoga) and anaerobic (e.g., body weight, free weights, resistance bands, machine weights, hydrotherapy) activities will be incorporated, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This physical activity target includes physical activity achieved within the weekly supervised session and that accrued outside of these supervised sessions (i.e. unsupervised), either prescribed by the AEP or self-determined by the participant and completed in the on-campus training facility or at the participant's home. Resistance training will be included 2-3 times per week, consisting of 1-4 sets of 5-10 repetitions for 2-8 exercises each. The resistance training target includes exercise achieved within the weekly supervised session and that accrued outside of these supervised sessions (i.e. unsupervised), either prescribed by the AEP or self-determined by the participant and completed in the on-campus training facility or at the participant's home. A final 60-minute consultation will be conducted to review progress, address any adjustments, and collect follow-up data. Both the baseline and final consultations are included in the 10 supervised sessions provided to the participants. A participant handbook will be provided, outlining the program and promoting the utilisation of university support services. A practitioner manual, designed specifically for this study, will be provided to AEPs employed in the trial. It will detail program protocols, exercise counseling techniques, motivational interviewing principles, and positive psychology strategies. The manual will also encourage referrals to other relevant university support services. A similar handbook, designed specifically for this study, will be provided to participants, outlining the program logistics, promoting healthy behaviors, and encouraging the use of positive psychology strategies and university support services. Following program completion, participants will participate in a semi-structured, individual interview lasting approximately 30 minutes. This interview will serve as a Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) and explore participant experiences, program benefits and challenges, barriers to participation, and the program's impact on health, wellbeing, and academic performance. A pre-defined interview guide will be used to ensure consistency across interviews, with the lead investigator acting as the interviewer. Program adherence will be assessed weekly through specific questioning included in the progress notes templates designed specifically for this study.
Sponsors
Queensland University of Technology
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
participants are students enrolled at and attend the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane university campuses; participants have a university Access Equity Plan and consider themselves to experience disability as defined by the ICF Framework; able and willing to complete 10 weeks of the health and wellbeing program either online or on-campus, minimum of one day per week and attend the on-campus fitness and aquatic centre for both physiological data collection sessions (week one and week 10) over the 10-week period; willing to be individually interviewed about their experience participating in the intervention.
Exclusion criteria
Nil
Outcome results
None listed