An intervention was conducted to identify effective but feasible ways to combat the decline in physical activity (PA) among college students. One hundred forty‐six first year college students were randomly assigned to one of three brief interventions: brochures, a classroom presentation, or an in‐person demonstration. Benefiting from the study, having low perceived stress, and being in a later stage of change for PA were expected to protect against the typical decreases in PA outcomes. Declines in PA were slowed or reversed when students were influenced by the intervention, had lower stress, and were in earlier stages of change. Students may benefit from simple interventions such as one‐time seminars and brochures explaining fitness guidelines, especially if combined with a stress management intervention.

Purpose This longitudinal study characterized psychological adjustment in a sample of lung cancer patients by examining the occurrence of posttraumatic stress and growth and their relationships with mental and physical health quality of life and survival over time. Methods Two waves of consecutive cohort samples, totaling 115 participants diagnosed with lung cancer, were identified from outpatient oncology clinics. Of these, 93 consented and completed the first of three assessments, and 57 completed the study. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD Checklist) and posttraumatic growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) were assessed and used to predict physical and mental health components of quality of life (Short Form 36) and survival. Results Patients reported both negative and positive psychological sequelae, with prevalence of estimated PTSD ranging from 5-16% at each assessment as determined by symptom and cut-off methods. Posttraumatic stress and growth were positively related, but were differentially associated with outcomes. More posttraumatic stress predicted lower mental health quality of life, whereas more posttraumatic growth predicted better physical health quality of life and longer survival. These relationships persisted after accounting for disease variables and attrition due to death or illness. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of using longitudinal designs to identify relationships between stress and resilience factors in predicting outcomes.

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To explore methods of promoting physical activity, research was conducted to determine whether exergame use could serve as a gateway to future physical activity and to test its efficacy as an intervention. Undergraduates (n = 103) received introductory training during weeks 0–4 through a racquetball videogame (exergame), traditional training, or no‐exposure (control group). All groups then participated in the same, traditional training for weeks 5–8. No differences existed between the exergame and traditional training groups for most outcomes. Both groups increased over time in most outcomes and showed greater skills test performance at post‐intervention assessments than the control group. However, baseline physical activity moderated these outcomes. These results provide partial support for a gateway mechanism and guidelines for future research.

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