Graduation Year
2025
Degree Type
Open Access Project
Document Type
Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
First Advisor
Dr. Theresa Loan
Department Affiliation
DNP Nursing
Second Advisor
Dr. Fontaine Sands
Department Affiliation
DNP Nursing
Department Affiliation
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
Abstract
Abstract
Sixty-eight percent of college and university students have indicated that procrastination is their greatest challenge to academic accomplishment. Academic procrastination has been associated with suboptimal health behaviors such as lack of sleep and poor diet due to increased stress and anxiety levels from this academic procrastination. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice Quality Improvement Project was to provide evidence-based online modules to help university students lessen academic procrastination while increasing healthy behaviors. Participants included students in their first through fourth semesters at a regional mid-South university. The Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) and the Wellness Behavior Inventory (WBI) measured student behaviors before and after completion of a series of three modules delivered through a learning management system. Independent (2-sample) t-Test statistical results from this study demonstrated a positive directional change in both the academic procrastination and health behavior metrics. There was also some significance when comparing individual questions on the pre- and post-instruments. This was studied because although the overall average was a smaller positive trend, it might still be beneficial to expand the education on certain behaviors. For the APS, distraction ranked as having the biggest difference pre versus post intervention and for the WBI, sleep was the topic with the biggest difference. Post implementation recommendations include expanding the educational modules and developing institutional policies to address academic procrastination and related health outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Sadler, Shelley D., "Academic Procrastination and Health Behaviors Among University Students" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 118.
https://encompass.eku.edu/dnpcapstones/118
