Active Young, Healthy Mind: Strategies for psychological well-being in university students

In recent years, there has been an increase in mental health problems among university students. University life is socially complex and stressful, and young adults often exhibit low levels of physical activity. This poses a significant threat to the students' mental and physical health.

What is urgently needed is a strategy to boost mental and physical health that can be easily accessed and integrated into a student's life.

The first objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Tai Chi Chuang (TCC), and High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) on the cognitive and mental health of university students and uncover potential mediators and moderators.

This study intends to explore the effects of potential mediators on physical (physical activity and fitness status), mental (mindful thinking, sleep quality, and fatigue), and physiological stress (heart rate variability) levels.

It will also examine the potential moderator effects of demographic factors (sex/gender, age, and educational level) and individual factors (cognitive reserve, intelligence quotient, personality) on intervention-induced changes in proposed outcomes. To achieve this, a three-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted.

Considering that an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment can offer additional benefits and improve training adherence, the second objective will focus on exploring the feasibility and effectiveness of mind and body interventions using VR (MBSR-VR, TCC-VR, HIFT-VR) on the cognitive and mental health among university students.

To do so, another randomized controlled trial will be undertaken. The results are expected to facilitate the development of targeted well-being strategies for individual students.

YoungFitT aims to contribute to NU 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being through a multidisciplinary approach, combining sports science, computer science, and neuropsychology.