Exercise is Medicine on Campus 2014: Engagement and Participation Analysis

Exercise is MedicineTM (EiM) on Campus is an initiative targeting physical activity (PA) participation on college campuses. College students are in a transitional life stage often associated with a decline in PA. Limited research has addressed how EiM initiatives can be operationalized on college campuses nation-wide. PURPOSE: To describe the implementation of EiM on a large U.S. university main campus and present preliminary outcomes related to campus participation and awareness. METHODS: A week-long EiM event (EiM week) was implemented on a large university campus in the northeastern USA. Exercise stations were setup in high-profile locations on campus to encourage brief bouts of PA and provide education on the benefits of PA. Educational/outreach activities included: engaging campus administrators in a kick-off event, distribution of 3000 pedometers, placement of educational materials, development of an event website, and department-sponsored colloquium events discussing and debating the merits of EiM. Evaluation included observations of participation, participant completion of brief surveys, and intercept surveys to assess awareness and reach. RESULTS: EiM week was implemented during Fall 2014. Stations elicited 1,251 exercise bouts from campus participants. Participants were most likely to indicate that they had heard about EiM week by walking by (64.6%). Intercept surveys (n=150) 1-week post-event indicated 39% of students had heard about EiM, of which 67% had heard or seen the event through messages encouraging exercise. Surveys indicated 50.8% of participants engage in 20 minutes of exercise at least 4 times per week, and 64.3% of participants exercise most often in on-campus fitness centers. Of the students who have seen a doctor at University Health Services, 14.3% report having discussed physical activity during their appointment. CONCLUSIONS: The current study was successful in engaging a large, diverse population on a college campus. Lessons learned from the development, implementation, and evaluation of EiM on Campus 2014 activities can be used to refine and expand the program in the future. Results may provide insight and guidance for other university campuses intending to implement EiM on Campus or other similar large scale physical activity promotion programs.