Evaluating the effect of a health-promoting behavioural programme on student’s quality of life, academic self-efficacy and health: Study protocol of the PROMESS-Group randomised controlled trial
This study protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the PROMESS-Group, a multimodal health-promoting behavioural programme led by peer experts, in improving quality of life, academic self-efficacy, and health outcomes among medical and doctoral students.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine your brain and body as a high-performance race car. To win a race, you need more than just a powerful engine; you need the right fuel, regular pit stops for maintenance, and a driver who knows how to handle the stress of the track without burning out. In the world of science, this "race car" is the human body, and the "fuel" is our daily habits like sleep, exercise, and how we handle stress. For a long time, scientists have known that medical students and doctoral researchers are like drivers pushing their cars to the absolute limit. They face massive workloads, endless exams, and high expectations, often skipping their "pit stops" (sleep) and running on empty (stress) to keep going. This study isn't about building a faster engine; it's about asking: "Can we teach these drivers better maintenance habits so they don't break down?" The researchers are exploring whether a specific, group-based coaching program can help these students feel better, sleep better, and believe more in their ability to succeed, without needing to become a different kind of person.
This paper is the "instruction manual" for a new experiment called the PROMESS-Group trial, which is set to take place at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France. Think of this not as a finished story with a final ending, but as the detailed blueprint for a journey the researchers are about to take. The goal is to see if a six-session group program can actually improve the lives of medical and doctoral students compared to those who just keep doing what they usually do.
The researchers are testing a program that acts like a "wellness gym" for the mind and body. Instead of just telling students to "relax" or "go for a run," the program breaks health down into three main pillars: Stress, Sleep, and Physical Activity. The students in the "intervention" group will meet in a group setting six times over a few months. These sessions are led by "peer experts"—older students who have already been through the grind and are trained to guide the group. It's like having a team of experienced pit crew members who not only give a pep talk but also show you exactly how to check your oil and change your tires.
Here is how the "race" is set up:
- The Teams: The researchers will recruit 97 students. Half will join the PROMESS-Group program, and the other half will be the "control group," meaning they will continue their normal studies without the special program for now. (Don't worry, the control group gets a condensed version of the program later, so everyone gets a chance to learn the tricks eventually).
- The Training: The six sessions are spaced out every two weeks. They start with stress management, move to sleep, and finish with physical activity. Each session includes a group lesson, some quick check-ins, and a short, private chat with a peer expert. During these chats, the expert looks at the student's personal data—like how much they slept or how stressed they feel—and helps them set tiny, achievable goals, like "take three deep breaths before an exam" or "walk for 10 minutes after lunch."
- The Tools: To make sure they aren't just guessing, the researchers are using some cool tech. Students will wear a special watch-like device (an accelerometer) on their wrist for 21 days to track their movement and sleep patterns automatically. They will also do some physical tests, like jumping to measure power or running back and forth to test their heart health, and they'll have their heart rate monitored to see how their body handles stress.
- The Scoreboard: The main thing they are measuring is "Quality of Life." They want to know if the students in the program feel happier and healthier than those who didn't get the special coaching. They are also checking if the students feel more confident in their academic abilities (self-efficacy), if they are sleeping better, and if they are moving more.
The paper explains that this is a "randomized controlled trial," which is a fancy way of saying they are using a fair, scientific method to make sure the results are real. They will measure the students at the start, during the program, and then again a few weeks and months after the program ends to see if the good habits stick.
Right now, this paper is just the plan. It hasn't told us the final results yet because the study is still being set up to run between 2025 and 2027. However, the researchers are confident that this approach is a smart one. By using peer coaches (students helping students) and focusing on three big areas of health at once, they hope to prove that a little bit of structured support can help these overworked students find their balance. If the program works, it could become a standard part of university life, helping future doctors and scientists stay healthy and happy while they learn to heal and teach others. The ultimate hope is that by fixing the "race car" now, these students will be better equipped to drive through their entire careers without burning out.
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