Impact of a Physical Activity Program on the Mental Health of Medical Students.

Official title

SANTE - Solidarité, Activités Sportives et Ludiques, Nouveauté, Tissu et Étudiants

Overview

University students frequently adopt a sedentary lifestyle with low levels of physical activity, leading to a deterioration in their health. A significant number of them also suffer from social isolation. Moreover, numerous studies have highlighted the vulnerability of university students (particularly those in medical programs) to mental health issues. Medical students, with their demanding academic curriculum, are no exception to this trend. A student association at the Lyon Est Faculty of Medicine reported that students' mental health is very low (2022): at least 1 in 2 students has experienced a depressive episode, and 1 in 3 has had suicidal thoughts during their studies. Other recent studies indicate that medical students at Lyon Est exhibit high levels of stress, low self-confidence, and excessive sedentary behavior (ECOSTRESS and ECOSPERF studies, 2021, 2022, and 2023). Unfortunately, in 2024, new mental health surveys among medical students from the second year through the end of their internship continue to confirm these findings. The SANTE project aims to offer solution to student to a highly effective means of improving both their mental health and their level of physical activity throught an intervention program. More precisely, the goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the impact of a physical activity program on the mental health in second-cycle medical students at the University of Lyon 1. The development of the SANTÉ program was based on (i) data from the literature, (ii) results from a previous local study (IRB No. 2024-07-02-03) that identified student needs through individual interviews and focus groups, and (iii) local findings from a co-construction workshop with students.

Interventions

• Behavioral SANTE program
  The intervention will consist of distinct period. Fisrt, 3 complete assessment periods will be realized : pre-intervention (week 1-2) ; mid-intervention (week 8-9) ; post-intervention (week 15 - 16) for evaluate the evolution of the health-related behavior, mental and physical health. Second, the SANTE program intervention will be implemented. Intervention 1 (week 3 and 7) for INT-1 group receive the SANTE program and INT-2 group do noting ; Intervention 2 (week 10-14) for INT-2 group receive th

Primary outcome measures

• Overall mental health : Evolution of the score obtained at the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]

Secondary outcome measures (12)

• Perceived level of physical activity : Score obtained at the Onaps-PAQ on physical activity levels. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Perceived level of well-being : Score obtained at The World Health Organization-Five (WHO-5) Well-Being Index [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Perceived level of stress : Score obtained at the Perceveid Stress Scale (PSS) [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Perceived level of loneliness : Score obtained at the UCLA Loneliness Scale. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Perceived level of sleep disturbance : Score obtained at the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Perceived level of fatigue : Score obtained at the Multidimentional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Habits and beliefs about physical activity : Scores obtained at the Habits and Beliefs About Physical Activity Questionnaire [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Physical Fitness markers - Strength. The force developed during a maximal isometric contraction of the quadriceps. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Physical Fitness markers markers - Power. Height of jump. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Physical Fitness markers markers - Power. Height of jump. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Physical Fitness markers - Endurance. Speed through the endurance test. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]
• Physical Fitness markers - Endurance. Heart rate during the endurance test. [Time frame: Week 1 and 2 (pre-intervention) Week 8-9 (mid-intervention) Week 15-16 (Post-intervention)]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Being a 2th-year or a 3th-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine Lyon East and Lyon South during the academic years 2024-2025.
• Having read the information note.
• Having signed the written consent.

Exclusion criteria

• No exclusion criteria will be applied.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Crossover

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Health services research

Study locations

France · 1 center

• RESHAPE — Lyon

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06822075 · SANTE

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗