University of Twente Student Theses
Examining the Influence of Informative Podcasts About Sleep Health on the Development of Sleep Hygiene Behaviour in Young Adults: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Hohlfeld, Nico M. (2024) Examining the Influence of Informative Podcasts About Sleep Health on the Development of Sleep Hygiene Behaviour in Young Adults: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
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| Abstract: | Even though sleep is considered crucial for maintaining mental and physical health, sleep quality remains notably low in many developed countries. This study utilises a randomised controlled trial with repeated measurements to examine the influence of an informative podcast on sleep hygiene behaviour adoption, as well as an associated change in sleep quality. The aim is to explore the potential efficiency of podcasts in achieving health behaviour change to deliver efficient and cost-effective health interventions. The experiment was conducted on a total of 37 participants aged 18 to 28 with an average of 22.2 (SD=2.41) years. Participants' sleep quality was assessed before and after the intervention period of one week, in which participants either listened to a podcast about sleep hygiene in the intervention group or read the same information in the control group for four successive days. Three sleep hygiene behaviours, namely caffeine ingestion, sunlight viewing and evening display interaction, were measured daily to track changes over time. While a change in sleep quality was observed for neither group, a significant difference in evening display interaction was recorded in the intervention group but not the control group. These findings must be regarded in the light of a small and homogenous sample but imply that podcasts hold the potential to change the behaviours of listeners. It is thought that established behavioural change techniques and the audio-based nature of the medium explain its effectiveness in influencing listeners' behaviours. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/98056 |
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