IPREP Supplemental: Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Resiliency

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Project Summary/Abstract The IUPUI Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (IPREP) provides academic enhancement and extensive research experiences to prepare talented college graduates from diverse backgrounds for success in rigorous Ph.D. and MD./Ph.D. programs in biomedical and behavioral research. IPREP trainees from underrepresented minority groups at predominantly white institutions may face marginalizing experiences such as discrimination that may lead to both mental health problems and poor academic performance. Research demonstrates that engaging trainees in extracurricular activities, such as physical activity participation, is a best practice. Physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve assertiveness, confidence, memory, attention, depression, anxiety, resiliency, and work errors. Despite PA’s contribution to cognitive and mental health outcomes, nationally representative accelerometry data show that less than 10% of all adults meet the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommended guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous PA per week. A key barrier to PA participation is a lack of understanding of how to participate in PA while navigating obstacles such as cost, time, transportation, and lack of social support. The goal of the proposed project is to provide a guided program in PA education that serves as a life-long tool to promote IPREP trainee well-being, resiliency, and persistence in challenging careers focused on biomedical and behavioral research. Trainees will complete a baseline mental health assessment, exercise self-efficacy scale, and assessment of resilience. Additionally, their cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and body composition will be measured. All trainees will be given a Fitbit, and their activity and sleep will be monitored via Fitabase. We will use the ACSM Exercise is Medicine® evidence-based curriculum for self- paced, didactic education over an eight-week period. We will monitor trainee progress on the didactic modules via the Canvas learning management software. After eight weeks, IPREP trainees will be assigned to an Exercise Science student who is experienced in PA programming and health coaching and will serve as the IPREP trainee’s personal trainer. IPREP trainees will select from a variety of exercise programs, sports, or other self-identified physical activities that the personal trainer will support. We will re-evaluate the baseline measures at weeks 8, 16, 32, and 64. The evaluators will collect, analyze, and report data to assist the leadership team in deciding which elements of the intervention should be institutionalized and incorporated into the IPREP and other training programs. Clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms (i.e. PHQ score > 10) will be reported to the trainee and referral to their healthcare provider for further evaluation and treatment. Research results will be presented at relevant professional meetings and submitted for peer-reviewed publication as an education research manuscript and a program guide shared nationally for implementation in PREP and graduate training programs.