Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Scott Gaynor, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Amy Naugle, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Amy Damashek, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Kristen Burnett, Ph.D.

Abstract

Nutrition and sleep are important health-related behaviors for which only a small percentage of the population meet recommended guidelines. To impact population-health it is important to develop focused, flexible, efficient, and efficacious interventions. This study examined the efficacy of a 60-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention in a group presentation format to initiate change in nutrition and sleep related behaviors in college students. Thirty-two collegians (M age = 18.55 [.85], 66% female, 34% Hispanic, 25% white) were randomized to receive ACT focusing on nutrition (n = 18 participants across 4 groups) or sleep (n = 14 participants across 3 groups). Confidence and readiness to change was assessed at pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention. Nutrition and sleep measures were taken at pre-intervention and 30-day follow up, such that each condition served as a control for the other (i.e., nutrition variables should change the most in the condition focused on nutrition and sleep should change the most in the condition that emphasized sleep). Participants reported overall increases in confidence and readiness to change after the ACT session, with readiness particularly increasing in the nutrition condition. Outcome analyses found participants in the ACT condition focused on eating habits showed differential change on 1/3 nutrition measures (i.e., the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants shortened version). Those in the ACT condition focused on sleeping habits showed differential change on 3/3 sleep measures, Health-Related Behavior Survey: Sleep subscale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Nutrition and Sleep Onset Questionnaire: Sleep subscale. A single-session of ACT was effective in increasing self-reported health-related behaviors, replicating prior work and suggesting further investigation work with larger, more diverse, samples, more stringent comparison conditions, and objective dependent measures.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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