Abstract
Problem Identification
Anxiety disorder is a public health concern, the world’s most common mental disorder, affecting 301 million people, particularly affecting young women aged 18-24 in Brigham City, Utah. Untreated anxiety can lead to an increased risk of mortality, depression, cardiovascular diseases, and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse.
Analysis
The project utilized the PRECEDE-PROCEED model as a framework to analyze and address the anxiety disorder among the target population. In our causal chain, we found lack of physical activity as a major behavioral factor, and limited access to green space as our environmental factor. Predisposing factor such as motivation to exercise, reinforcing factor such as fear of injury from exercise, enabling (behavior) factor such as skill to exercise safely, and enabling (environmental) factor such as such inadequate allocation of land for green space were identified as the major factors contributing to those behaviors.
Intervention (Solution) Proposal
The ‘Active Body, Active Mind’ initiative’s proposed solution includes education workshops, a social media campaign, hands-on training on injury prevention and exercise motivation, and advocacy for public green space allocation. This program incorporates strategies from the social cognitive theory and the social ecological model to foster behavioral and environmental changes.
Implementation and Evaluation
The implementation phase involves multiple comprehensive teams, including a program manager, health educators, certified fitness instructors, a community liaison, and a social media market, utilizing transformational leadership theory to foster a positive and supportive environment in the program. The intervention’s effectiveness will be evaluated through a quasi-experimental research design to monitor the engagement and satisfaction of participants through regular feedback and observations.