The Effect of Transtheoretical Model-Based Online Health Education on Nutrition and Physical Activity Change Processes in Overweight University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cansu Yaşar 1 2 * , Şeyma Zehra Altunkürek 3
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1 Department of Public Health Nursing, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri, Turkey
2 PhD Program, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
3 Department of Public Health Nursing, Gülhane Health Sciences University, Ankara, Turkey
* Corresponding Author
J CLIN MED KAZ, Volume 22, Issue 6, pp. 28-36. https://doi.org/10.23950/jcmk/17361
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Author Contributions: Conceptualization, C. Y.; methodology, C. Y.; formal analysis, C. Y.; investigation, C. Y.; resources, C. Y.; data curation, C. Y.; writing – original draft preparation, C. Y.;writing – review and editing, C. Y.; validation, Ş. Z. A.; Ş. Z. A.;visualization, C. Y.; supervision, C. Y. and Ş. Z. A.; project administration, C. Y.; funding acquisition – not applicable. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure Statement: ________________________.

ABSTRACT

Background: Overweight and obesity have emerged as critical global public health issues, as they elevate the risk of non-communicable diseases. The university years constitute a pivotal phase characterized by the prevalence of detrimental food practices and inconsistent physical exercise, hence intensifying associated health concerns. This study seeks to assess the influence of an online health education program, grounded in the Transtheoretical Model, on the dietary and physical activity behavior modification processes of overweight university students.

Methods: This study was designed as a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled clinical trial. The research was conducted at a foundation university in Turkey, involving 54 overweight students who satisfied the inclusion criteria and participated in training sessions once a week for one month. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n=27) and control (n=27) groups. The intervention group had online health education grounded in the Transtheoretical Model for four weeks, while the control group got no intervention. Measurements were taken before and after the test using the Nutrition Change Processes Scale, Exercise Change Processes Scale, and the Transtheoretical Model Stage of Change Form.

Results:The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in scores on the Nutrition Improvement Processes Scale and Exercise Change Processes Scale (p<0.05), while the control group exhibited no significant improvement. A larger percentage of students in the intervention group progressed to the action and maintenance stages compared to those in the control group.

Conclusions: The online health education based on the Transtheoretical Model significantly influenced dietary and physical activity behavior changes among overweight students. The results demonstrate that organized health education initiatives might enhance motivation and facilitate enduring behavioral change among university students. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05482659
Keywords: Healthy Nutrition, Online Education, Overweight, Physical Activity, Transtheoretical Model

CITATION

Yaşar C, Altunkürek ŞZ. The Effect of Transtheoretical Model-Based Online Health Education on Nutrition and Physical Activity Change Processes in Overweight University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J CLIN MED KAZ. 2025;22(6):28-36. https://doi.org/10.23950/jcmk/17361

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