A Motivational Psychological Intervention Aimed at University Students' Health

INTERVENTION: The researchers will provide informational materials to the participants. Such materials will be study‐specific and will be delivered using both an information sheet and a brief video presentation. The information sheet will provide simple information regarding the intervention and its essential components including definitions and descriptions of the following concepts: 1. Motivational interviewing 2. Change talk 3. Status quo 4. Resistance talk These concepts will also be covered in a short video presentation prepared by the research team for the purpose of conducting this study. The video and the information sheet will be shared with the participants before launching the intervention. In this study we will use a modified version of MI interviewing intervention. In the proposed intervention we will ask the participants to deliver a series of brief online presentations (5‐10 minutes) regarding behavior change. Participants will be instructed to prepare their presentations around the change talk themes employed in the original MI techniques. These themes include Disadvantages of status quo, advantages of change, intention to change, optimism about change. The administration of modified motivational interviewing intervention will be done in three main phases. First two weeks, the participants will be asked to deliver two online presentations a week. Second phase will include the next two weeks in which the participants will deliver one online presentation a week. In the third phase participants will be asked to deliver one online presentation once every two weeks for the next month. The target behaviors will represent three health domains (physiological, psychological, and cognitive). These domains were selected based on the review of the lite CONDITION: Health Promotion; ; Health Promotion Public Health ‐ Health promotion/education PRIMARY OUTCOME: Assessment of nutritional status. This is a composite primary outcome and the following will be included in its measurement:; 1. Measurement of the participants' Body Mass Index [BMI]. The weights will be obtained using a digital scale. The participants heights will be measured using stadiometer.; 2. Healthy Eating Index [HEI‐2015], and ; 3. The Three‐Factor Eating Questionnaire‐18 [TTFQ‐18]). [Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization. The final timepoint (6‐month post randomization) will be considered the primary endpoint.; ] Physical activity will be measured using a smart phone application developed for the purpose of conducting this study.[24‐hour periods weekly after randomization for six months. The primary endpoint will be final timepoint (6‐month post randomization).] Psychological health will be assessed by measuring the perceived stress and the depressive symptoms among the participants. This is a composite outcome covering the following:; 1. The Perceived stress scale‐10 will be used to measure stress,; 2. Depressive symptoms will be measured by using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression‐Revised (CESD‐R).[Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization. The final timepoint (6‐month post randomization) will be considered the primary endpoint.] INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1) being currently enrolled in the university, and 2) having the ability to participate in the current study and commit to behavioral change. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Cognitive fusion will be measured using the cognitive fusion questionnaire (CFQ).[Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization.] Impulsivity will be assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐11).[Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization.] Mindfulness will be measured using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). ; [Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization.] Self‐monitoring of behavioral change will be assessed using the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ).[Will be assessed immediately after randomization, and then after one and six months of randomization.]