The YoungFitT project: Study protocol for a randomized mixed-methods trial of physical exercise and mind-body interventions, with or without virtual reality, in university students

Abstract

Background; Mental health issues among young university students have increased in recent years, driven by academic stress and sedentary lifestyles. The YoungFitT Project aims to explore well-being strategies and the psychobiological mechanisms behind their effects on university students. The project includes two studies: the first evaluates the effectiveness of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Qigong (QG) on psychological well-being and cognitive functions, and also explores whether socio-demographic, mental (mindful thinking, sleep quality), physical (physical fitness, physical activity), physiological (heart rate variability), and biological (microbiota) factors mediate or moderate intervention effects on university students. Given that immersive virtual reality (VR) can enhance adherence and provide additional benefits, the second study will explore the feasibility and efficacy of HIFT-VR, MBSR-VR, and QG-VR on university students’ psychological well-being and cognitive functions.

Methods: Two mixed-methods randomized controlled trials will be conducted. In Study 1, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups (HIFT, MBSR, QG) using a 1:1:1 ratio. Psychological, cognitive, physical, physiological, and biological measures will be evaluated two weeks before and after the interventions. The interventions include three weekly sessions for 12 weeks. Subsequently, a follow-up will be conducted 12 weeks after the intervention to assess psychological well-being. Study 2 is a proof-of-concept study in which VR interventions will be co-designed with input from university students and professionals. Twelve participants from each study will also complete semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences and perceived impact.

Discussion: The proposed interventions are expected to produce differential effects on psychological well-being and cognitive function. VR environments may enhance adherence and offer added benefits over conventional training. Findings will inform effective, personalized strategies for the mental and physical health of university youth.

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain) [https://www.ciencia.gob.es/] through grant PID2022-137776OB-I00 awarded to MMS, and by the European Commission under the HORIZON-MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2023 [https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101151797/ it], grant 101151797-YoungFitT, also awarded to SR. Additional support was provided to ABG through a predoctoral fellowship (FPU18/04344) and to MMS through ICREA under the ICREA Academia program.

Peer Reviewed

Article signat per 20 autors/es: Samira Rostami 1,2 *; Adrià Bermudo-Gallaguet 1,2,3; Neus Camins-Vila 4; Blai Ferrer-Uris 4; Albert Busquets 4; Mireia Ribera 5;, Laura Coll 1; Jaime Gallego Vila 6; Ramon Oliva Martínez 6; Mel Slater 2,6; Gustavo Garcia Diez 7; Nazareth Perales Castellanos 7; Mar Larrosa 8; Jofre Bielsa-Pascual 9; Pere Torán-Montserrat 9,10; Olga Bruna Rabassa 11; Myriam Guerra-Balic 11; Kirk I. Erickson 12,13; Belinda Brown 14; Maria Mataró Serrat 1,2,3 / 1 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2 Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 3 Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; 4 National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 5 Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 6 Event Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 7 Nirakara Lab, Extraordinary Chair in Mindfulness and Cognitive Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 8 Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 9 Metropolitan North Research Support Unit, Jordi Gol i Gurina University Institute Foundation for Primary Health Care Research, Mataró, Spain; 10 Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Spain; 11 Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain; 12 Advent Health Research Institute, Neuroscience, Orlando, Florida, United States of America; 13 Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; 14 Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

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