Developing and Evaluating Life Style Counseling among Adolescents

1. Arun Pratap Singh, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology,
Galgotias University,
Greater Noida (NCR)
E-mail: jyotiarun13@gmail.com

2. Introduction
 Living in age of technology, emerging comforts and concerns
 Each Day we witness dozen times deaths, disabilities and
losses due to unhealthy life style than any terror strikes (i.e.,
26/11 or 9/11)
 Most of life style-related problems established during
adolescence which also severely jeopardizes their health and
well-being
 Adolescence more vulnerable to unhealthy behaviors than
other factors
 Initiatives for life style changes by many developed countries
and WHO remain deprived (Larson, et al., 2002)
 Plasticity and potential for change during adolescence offers an
opportunity (Newton, 1995)

3. Method of Study
 Setting: a residential school due to (a) manipulation of
routine of the students (b) accommodation facilities for
proper conduct of the intervention (c) opportunity for
individual monitoring of life style changes (d) support of the
school staff. In a residential school located in a semi-urban
setting.
 Design of the study: 2X2, type of the group (experimental
and control group) X Gender matched Pretest-Posttest
Control-group design
 Measures
Adolescent Health Questionnaire
WHO-QOL BREF
Semi-structured interview schedule

4. Sample
Table1. Socio-demographic Characteristics of the participants (N=100)
Variables Number Percent
Gender Boy
Girl
50
50
50
50
Age-range 12-14
15-16
17-18
44.0
24.0
32.0
44.0
24.0
32.0
Ecological
setting
Urban
Rural
40
60
40
60
Parent’s
income
< Rs 5000
Rs 5000-15000
> Rs 15000
40.0
48.0
12.0
40.0
48.0
12.0
Religion Hindu
Muslim
92.0
8.0
92.0
8.0
Caste SC
ST
OBC
General
20.0
8.0
4.0
68.0
20.0
8.0
4.0
68.0
School grade VII
VIII
IX
XI
28.0
16.0
8.0
48.0
28.0
16.0
8.0
48.0

5. Development of LSCP
 objectives
(a) inform for role of life style
(b) persuade and assist for life style change,
(c) administer feasible Yoga training programme
(d) evaluate the efficacy of LSCP
 Integrated module based on the insights from
research literature, personal experiences,
 Involved practical issues; school routine, availability
and capability of students

6. Framework of LSCP
Stages/ steps Strategy Activities Process Goal
(1) Preparation
(a) Rapport
Formation
(b) Formation of
awareness
---------
Providing
cognitive
input
-----------
Discourse
dealing with
unhealthy and
healthy life style
practices in the
light of current
concerns
------------
Cognitive
dissonance
---------
Making the
participants to
know about
positive effects
of changing their
life style
(2) Introduction
(a)Persuasion Observational
learning
Showing the
films, and power
point
presentations
about role
models (i.e.,
actors, sport
persons)
Modeling Persuading the
adolescents to
consider the
change
(b)Orientation Perceptual
change
Addressing the
pros and cons of
benefits and
barriers of
changing life
style,
Motivated
Reasoning
Inducing the
readiness for
change in the life
style
(3)
Implementation
(a) Training
Reward for
change
Giving positive
personal regards
for participating
in the
intervention
Reinforcement Compliance for
change
(b)Persistence Approval Vedio recording
of last session,
participation of
principal and
teachers of the
school, appraisal
by principal
Recognition and
affiliation
Continue with
change in the life
style

7. A Picture: Students participating in a Yoga
session of LSCP

8. Results of Study
Variables Type of Group Gender Testing occasions
INT CON MS F
(1,99)
B G MS F
(1, 99)
PRE POST MS F
(1, 99)
Illness 20.24
(4.33)
21.26
(5.25)
13.00 1.15 21.76
(5.02)
19.74
(4.43)
51.00 4.52* 11.27
(3.02)
9.48
(2.86)
160.20 38.75***
Insomnia 7.24
(2.39)
8.08
(2.98)
8.82 2.37 7.78
(2.77)
7.54
(2.69)
.72 .19 4.18
(1.74)
3.48
(1.56)
24.50 15.2***
Digestion 14.02
(2.97)
13.72
(3.55)
1.12 .21 13.74
(3.45)
14.00
(3.10)
.84 .15 6.69
(1.99)
7.18
(1.85)
12.00 6.27*
Fitness 22.30
(3.95)
21.50
(3.96)
8.00 1.00 21.90
(3.99)
21.90
(3.96)
.00 .00 10.32
(2.72)
11.58
(2.36)
79.38 17.23***
Negative
body image
15.70
(3.93)
17.32
(4.94)
32.80 3.27 17.12
(4.54)
15.90
(4.45)
18.60 1.85 8.75
(2.94)
7.76
(2,85)
49.00 9.509**
Self-esteem 22.74
(3.61)
20.96
(4.13)
39.60 5.17* 21.60
(3.90)
22.10
(4.05)
3.12 .41 10.51
(2.49)
11.34
(2.31)
34.44 10.39**
Depression 14.84
(2.89)
16.08
(3.33)
19.22 3.90 15.22
(3.54)
15.70
(2.74)
2.88 .58 7.96
(1.99)
7.50
(1.65)
10.58 6.17*
Anxiety 15.06
(4.15)
15.46
(4.25)
2.00 .22 15.48
(4.92)
15.04
(3.33)
2.42 .27 8.30
(2.58)
6.96
(2.39)
89.78 26.91***
Goal Clarity 14.36
(3.29)
13.76
(3.01)
4.50 .89 13.70
(3.54)
14.42
(2.70)
6.48 1.29 6.82
(1.93)
7.24
(1.98)
8.82 4.04*
Adjustment 24.54
(3.54)
23.76
(3.94)
7.60 1.06 23.90
(3.97)
24.40
(3.53)
3.12 .43 11.68
(2.40)
12.47
(2.15)
31.20 10.25**

9. Results of Study: ANOVA Main effects
Variables Type of Group Gender Testing occasions
INT CON MS F (1,99) B G MS F
(1, 99)
PRE POST MS F
(1, 99)
Alienation 13.54
(3.51)
14.60
(4.64)
14.04 1.63 14.14
(4.62)
14.00
(3.62)
.24 .03 7.49
(2.32)
6.58
(2.59)
41.40 14.08***
Empathy 14.24
(2.76)
12.92
(2.71)
21.78 5.87* 14.04
(2.72)
13.12
(2.84)
10.58 2.85 6.36
(1.67)
7.22
(1.76)
36.98 20.94***
Positive virtues 57.44
(8.25)
58.12
(8.38)
5.78 .16 58.96
(6.76)
56.60
(9.49)
69.62 2.02 27.87
(5.35)
29.91
(4.1)
208.08 19.07***
Academic
competence
28.46
(4.73)
28.28
(5.91)
.40 .03 28.12
(5.96)
28.62
(4.66)
3.12 .21 13.29
(3.26)
15.08
(3.04)
160.20 33.49***
Hopefulness 29.48
(4.60)
28.12
(6.22)
23.12 1.51 29.08
(5.93)
28.52
(5.05)
3.92 .25 13.74
(3.28)
15.06
(3.08)
87.12 19.15***
Optimism 43.48
(4.79)
39.60
(6.10)
188.18 12.52** 41.34
(6.70)
41.74
(4.77)
2.00 .13 19.88
(3.43)
21.66
(3.45)
158.42 24.49***
Quality of Life 131.96
(12.05)
131.68
(13.46)
.98 .01 131.2
(13.5)
132.3
(11.9)
15.68 .19 63.06
(7.92)
68.76
(7.57)
1624.5 61.15***
Global Health 434.30
(39.40)
417.40
(40.19)
3570.1
2
4.42 424.3
(40.7)
427.3
(40.5)
108 .13 207.17
(25.23)
218.68
(23.72)
6624 27.99***

10. Results of Study III: ANOVA Interaction effects

11. Results of Study III: ANOVA Interaction effects

12. Discussion
 Need for extending the scope of adolescent health
programmes
 LSCP practical and feasible in terms of delivery and cost.
 Potential of LSCP to make supplementary contribution
 Effectiveness of school based intervention
 Implications planning interventions and need for
incorporating life style in school health policy

13. Future Plans
A Project submitted to ICSSR
 To study relevant mediators of change in life style
 To evaluate efficacy of life style counseling in randomly
controlled study

14.  Some future directions
Need for thorough investigation of role of diet and sleep
habits, religiosity
Need to include parental perspectives,
Need of integrated teaching-learning programme
Need of prospective study on life style diseases
Exploring process, barriers, attitudes underlying
compliance for change
 Life style changes persistent
 Need for cautioned interpretation; lack of randomization,
self-report, observational
 However, point to school wide intervention
 Emergence of life style counseling
 Supplements life skills education

15. Refrences
 Singh, A. P., & Misra, G. (2012). Adolescent Life Style
Survey [Database record]. Retrieved from PsycTESTS.
doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/t28857-000

16. Refrences
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Efficacy of a 4-week yogic lifestyle
education for promoting holistic health in Indian school adolescents.
Yog Mimamsa, 47(1), 22-29. doi: 10.4103/0044-0507.195455.
 Sawle, J.P., Lehakpure, R., Singh, A.P. & Jha, A.K. (2015). Development
of self-control in Gandhian Life. Indian Journal of Social Science and
Organizational Behaviour, 4 (1), 63-72.
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Holism in Yoga: Some Reflections from
Yoga-sutra. International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences, 3(2), 61-
66.
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Positive Life style and Spiritual Health:
Results of a Field Experiment among School Adolescents. Indian
Journal of Social Sciences and Organizational Behavior, 3(1 & 2), 45-54.

17. Refrences…
 Singh, Arun Pratap & Jha, Arbind Kumar (2015). Adolescent health
education in India: demographic travails, contextual influences and
implications for health concerns. Indian Educational Review ,53(1),25-
38.
 Singh, A.P. & Misra, G. (2013). Life Style Counselling in School:
Emerging Implications and Future Directions. In Guidance and
Counselling: New Directions (edited by Dr. Sandhy Ojha, O.P.
Chaudhary, and Shambhu Upadhyaya).New Delhi: Shree Publications.
ISBN: 978-81-8329-522-2.

18.  Singh, A.P. (2012). Pattern of Health Behaviors among Indian School
Adolescents. Indian Journal of Social Science and Organizational
Behavior, 1(1), 9-16. ISSN: 2278-568X.
 Singh, A.P. & Misra, G.(2011). Lifestyle and Positive Health: Results of
15-day Life Style Intervention Programme among Indian School
Adolescents. In S.K.Yadav and S.B.Yadav (Ed.) Positive Psychology
(p.269-282). New Delhi: Global Vision Publishing House.