Peer-Supported E-Health Intervention for College Student Weight Management and Mental Health

NCT ID: NCT06966661

Last Updated: 2026-01-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 216 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-11-02
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-05

Brief Summary

This study will test whether adding peer support and online education can help college students manage their weight and improve their mood: we plan to enroll 300 full-time university students and randomly assign them to one of three six-month groups (monthly in-person health talks and weekly emailed tips alone; those activities plus biweekly peer-mentor meetings and an online chat group; or those activities plus a custom app delivering weekly lessons, monthly expert live Q&A, and self-tracking tools). We will measure weight, body mass index (BMI), and scores on standard questionnaires for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and life satisfaction (SWLS) at baseline, three months and six months to compare the effectiveness of each approach. By identifying which combination of face-to-face support and digital tools produces the greatest improvements, we aim to inform low-cost, scalable programs to help students maintain a healthy weight and emotional well-being.

Conditions

Depression - Major Depressive Disorder; Psychological Well Being; Obesity Prevention

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Control Arm

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Peer Support Arm

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Peer Support Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In addition to all components of Standard Health Education, participants join biweekly, small-group meetings (6-8 peers) facilitated by trained upper-year student mentors who guide goal-setting, experience sharing, and mutual accountability. A moderated online chat forum provides daily encouragement, peer-to-peer Q\&A, and group reminders, distinguishing this arm by its structured social support network.

Peer Support eHealth Arm

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Peer Support and eHealth Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This arm integrates the full Peer Support Intervention with a custom mobile/web application that delivers weekly, interactive modules on nutrition, exercise, and mental health; offers in-app self-monitoring tools for weight, dietary intake, and mood; and hosts monthly live Q\&A webinars with clinical nutritionists and mental health professionals. The combination of real-time peer interaction and scalable digital content differentiates it as a multifaceted, blended-delivery intervention.

Interventions

Peer Support Intervention

In addition to all components of Standard Health Education, participants join biweekly, small-group meetings (6-8 peers) facilitated by trained upper-year student mentors who guide goal-setting, experience sharing, and mutual accountability. A moderated online chat forum provides daily encouragement, peer-to-peer Q\&A, and group reminders, distinguishing this arm by its structured social support network.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Peer Support and eHealth Intervention

This arm integrates the full Peer Support Intervention with a custom mobile/web application that delivers weekly, interactive modules on nutrition, exercise, and mental health; offers in-app self-monitoring tools for weight, dietary intake, and mood; and hosts monthly live Q\&A webinars with clinical nutritionists and mental health professionals. The combination of real-time peer interaction and scalable digital content differentiates it as a multifaceted, blended-delivery intervention.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Full-time undergraduate students aged 18-25 years
• Baseline BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m²
• Able to provide informed consent
• Owns a smartphone or computer with internet access
• Willing to attend monthly lectures and complete online modules

Exclusion Criteria

• Current participation in another weight-management or psychological intervention program
• Diagnosis of an eating disorder, severe psychiatric illness, or medical condition affecting weight (e.g., hyperthyroidism)
• Pregnant or planning pregnancy during the study period
• Any physical limitation precluding participation in light-to-moderate physical activity
• Inability to communicate in the language of intervention materials

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Guangzhou Sport University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Jinan University Guangzhou

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ma Ruisi

Lecturer, School of Physical Education, Jinan University

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

School of Physical Education, Jinan University

Guangzhou, New Territories, China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

2025LCLL-057

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id