The impact of the La Crosse Wellness Project on the health promotion involvement of college students residing on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Abstract

This research examined an educational, intervention process, specifically the La Crosse Wellness Project (LWP), and its impact on the health behaviors and attitudes of college students. Groups participating in the research consisted of students living in the residence halls at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. There were 15 subjects in the experimental group and 17 subjects in the control group. Three instruments were used for the evaluation: the LWP Impact Evaluation, the LWP Process Evaluation, and the Student Response Survey. The LWP Impact Evaluation was used as a pre- and posttest for the experimental and control groups. Both groups also completed the Student Response Survey during the posttest phase. During posttesting, only the experimental group completed the LWP Process Evaluation. The LWP intervention materials in this study included the La Crosse Wellness Inventory and the Wellness Development Process. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied in the analysis of six hypotheses. Significance was established at the p <_ .05 level. Statistical significance was not found in any of the hypotheses. However, positive change was measured in three hypotheses, although not statistically significant. The experimental group displayed a higher desire to establish a personal wellness definition, had a lower desire to drop out of school, and had a higher desire to seek formal on-campus support services. Some participants completing the LWP appeared to increase their wellness behavior. A trend showed the adoption of some good health practices.