An article published in the Nutrition Journal outlined the practicability of a behavioral healthy lifestyle program called ‘HEYMAN’ aimed at young men.
The study found that incorporating online and one-on-one eHealth support and wearable devices improved general markers of health.
During the age interval of 18-25 years, young men experience various important and often stressful life events including moving out from the family home, employment, marriage, and having children among others. Research has shown that these life changes often involve adverse health effects in the form of alcohol abuse, less physical activity, and unhealthy eating habits.
Despite evidence of this, there are few strong behavioral health interventions that target young men.
The chief goal of the study was to discuss whether this intervention is practical to implement and to highlight its initial effectiveness. The pilot (smaller initial segment of a larger study) study took place over the course of three months and recruited a total of 50 young men. The intervention included the following components: a Facebook support group, face-to-face sessions (group and individual), eHealth support, a wearable device, and portion control of diet.
In all, 87.5% (21 respondents) stated that they were very satisfied or satisfied with the program, 12.5% reported feeling neutral about the intervention, and none communicated that they were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied. Significant positive effects of the intervention were observed with regard to daily vegetable servings, BMI, fat mass, weight, and cholesterol among others.
The evidence from this trial would be instrumental in the eventual execution of a larger fully powered randomized controlled trial with minor changes to the research procedures and intervention elements, such as the number of individualized sessions.
Written By: Melissa Booker
