Objectives: A campus-based intervention to enhance food literacy (FL) and establish exercise habits among college students was developed and the program’s effectiveness was evaluated. Methods: The 13-session program was developed based on the transtheoretical model and social cognitive theory. Junior and senior students majoring in food and nutrition and physical education were asked to participate as mentors, with freshmen and sophomores from varied majors as mentees. The program encompassed food, nutrition, and exercise lessons including cooking sessions. Data were collected via pre- and post-program surveys using a questionnaire consisting of items on FL and nutrition behaviors and physical fitness measurements. Results: Among 39 participants (35.9% male, 64.1% female), the overall FL score increased significantly from 64.1 to 70.6 post-program (P = 0.001). Significant increases were observed in the nutrition and safety (P < 0.001), cultural and relational (P = 0.023), and socio-ecological (P = 0.001) domains, as well as knowledge (P = 0.001), self-efficacy (P = 0.013), attitude (P < 0.001), and behavior (P = 0.005) items in three domains of FL. Additionally, meal duration increased significantly (P = 0.007) and sit-up performance among female showed a meaningful change (P = 0.046). Changes in dietary behaviors significantly progressed (P = 0.015) while that in exercise habits approached a marginal significance (P = 0.053) after the intervention. Conclusion The results reveal positive changes in FL and some modifications in eating habits, although the program had limited effects on physical activity and fitness measurements. These findings suggest that strategic approaches to foster exercise behavior changes in college students are required. This pilot program can serve as foundational data for improving and expanding multicomponent health promotion programs for this population.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell therapy using adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs), which are capable of multipotent differentiation, is currently being investigated in the field of tissue regeneration and the treatment of patients in intensive care units. It is known that type-A γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA(A)) receptor activity has an influence on stem cell proliferation. Thus, we investigated the effects of the clinically available GABA(A) receptor agonists, etomidate and midazolam, on ADSC proliferation measured by the cell counting kit-8 assay. METHODS: ADSCs cultured in control medium or adipogenic differentiation medium for 15 days were divided into 5 treatment groups: non-medicated (Control) and 4 groups including treatment with etomidate or midazolam at 1 and 50 µM (n = 3 per group). The cell counting kit-8 assay was performed for determining the cell proliferation in both medium groups at day 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 in culture. The absorbance values at 450 nm were then measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reader and statistically compared among groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in cell proliferation profiles among the 5 groups at any time point in both control and adipogenic differentiation media. CONCLUSIONS: Etomidate and midazolam did not influence ADSC proliferation under both media when compared to the non-medicated group and there was no dose-dependent effect of etomidate and midazolam on ADSC viability.
Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Etomidate* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Midazolam* ; Receptors, GABA ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells