The behavior modification experience: Application, accountability and coaching

The behavior modification project consists of two phases. First year students are required to participate in Phase I as a component of the course "Nutrition, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention." A section of the lecture sequence in this course provides didactic information about healthy lifestyle issues including smoking cessation, alcohol use, and principles of nutrition. Each student chooses a personal habit that he or she considers unhealthy (sedentary lifestyle, high fat diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, etc) and this becomes the focus of the semester long project. Twenty second and third year students participate in Phase II, an elective course entitled Behavior Modification Coaching, concurrent with the first year project. Each student is assigned a group of five first year students to "coach" for the semester. The behavior modification project was initiated seven years ago as part of an ongoing first year required course. The instructors evaluate and modify the project each year to enhance student learning.