Impact of a Physical Activity Program on the Mental Health of Medical Students. (SANTE)

Research on Healthcare Performance Lab U1290

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Physical Inactivity; Sedentary Behaviors; Medical Student; Health Related Physical Fitness; Health Behavior; Mental Health

Treatments: Behavioral: SANTE program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06822075

SANTE

Details and patient eligibility

About

University students frequently adopt a sedentary lifestyle with low levels of physical activity, leading to a deterioration in their health. A significant number of them also suffer from social isolation. Moreover, numerous studies have highlighted the vulnerability of university students (particularly those in medical programs) to mental health issues. Medical students, with their demanding academic curriculum, are no exception to this trend.

A student association at the Lyon Est Faculty of Medicine reported that students' mental health is very low (2022): at least 1 in 2 students has experienced a depressive episode, and 1 in 3 has had suicidal thoughts during their studies. Other recent studies indicate that medical students at Lyon Est exhibit high levels of stress, low self-confidence, and excessive sedentary behavior (ECOSTRESS and ECOSPERF studies, 2021, 2022, and 2023). Unfortunately, in 2024, new mental health surveys among medical students from the second year through the end of their internship continue to confirm these findings.

The SANTE project aims to offer solution to student to a highly effective means of improving both their mental health and their level of physical activity throught an intervention program. More precisely, the goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the impact of a physical activity program on the mental health in second-cycle medical students at the University of Lyon 1. The development of the SANTÉ program was based on (i) data from the literature, (ii) results from a previous local study (IRB No. 2024-07-02-03) that identified student needs through individual interviews and focus groups, and (iii) local findings from a co-construction workshop with students.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being a 2th-year or a 3th-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine Lyon East and Lyon South during the academic years 2024-2025.
• Having read the information note.
• Having signed the written consent.

Exclusion criteria

• No exclusion criteria will be applied.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

INT-1

Experimental group

Description:

The group INT-1 will get SANTE Program during the first period of the study, then noting during the second period.

Treatment:

Behavioral: SANTE program

INT-2

Experimental group

Description:

The group INT-2 will get noting during the first period of the study, then SANTE program during the second period.

Treatment:

Behavioral: SANTE program