Peer promoted LunchChat app at university: connecting students at mealtimes to prevent/reduce loneliness

大学里同行推广的 LunchChat 应用程序：在用餐时间联系学生以防止/减少孤独感

• 批准号: MR/Z503587/1
• 负责人: Domenico Giacco
• 金额: $ 19.56万
• 依托单位: University of Warwick
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FZ503587%2F1
• 关键词: Peer; promoted; LunchChat; app; university

Loneliness is a considerable problem among university students. In a recent survey, a quarter of students felt lonely all or most of the time. Students of minoritized ethnic or gender backgrounds, or with disabilities or autism, international students, or with caring responsibilities report even higher levels of loneliness than other students. Long-lasting loneliness can damage our physical and mental health. Our recent systematic review of 37 interventions identified that interventions which brought students together in groups were most likely to reduce loneliness. Supporting university students to connect regularly outside of the classroom could therefore be a key ingredient for interventions to prevent/reduce loneliness. Most universities host student societies/clubs based on hobbies/interests, but these may not be of interest or accessible to everyone. More inclusive solutions are needed that make use of the time students are on campus and help break down barriers to forming social connections.Our aim is to further the co-design and development process of an intervention to prevent/reduce loneliness among a wide range of students, especially among those at higher risk of loneliness who might struggle to connect with others via existing societies/clubs.Our intervention includes a) an app ('LunchChat') enabling the advertising of shared 'eating events'; b) a social network component within LunchChat that helps users to introduce themselves and/or seek people with shared interests; c) training of students to become peer promoters of the initiative; d) a (social) media campaign within the University to advertise the initiative.'LunchChat' allows users to create and/or join an eating event and filter events by e.g., gender of the organiser. The app brings students together at lunch or break times, to socialise around a meal or drink. Event invites can be for several people or just one person. Peer promoters organise regular group events during term time (e.g., 1pm on Wednesdays in main canteen). This is supported by promotional material (e.g., table flags) and a (social) media campaign, including short videos.A shared lunchtime/coffee break offers a relaxed way of socialising for those who may struggle with joining societies/clubs because of issues linked to timing, location, language, or lack of specific skills or confidence. Shared mealtimes can help with the formation of social relationships, which can increase feeling connected to others and social support. This can help prevent/reduce loneliness and increase wellbeing.Our intervention draws on literature on social networks, friendship formation and social significance of meals. We will build on our previous research co-created and co-developed with students. A prototype 'LunchChat' app with basic components was developed as a final year computer science project. Our next phase will incorporate new important features identified by students in recent and future Patient and Public Involvement & Engagement (PPIE) sessions.Our objectives are to:Refine and adapt the LunchChat app according to further student feedback and analytics, i.e., add new features; gamification;Co-design the peer promotion element to enable regular meet-ups over lunch/coffee/meal during term time;Test the final version of the app with students regarding its functionality, comprehension/user-friendliness and safety;Co-design a university wide (social media) campaign to promote the intervention.Implemented in full, our intervention offers an integrated, student-led, whole university approach to prevention of loneliness, appealing to students of any background, supporting a more positive university experience.

孤独感是大学生面临的一个严重问题。在最近的一项调查中，四分之一的学生始终或大部分时间都感到孤独。少数族裔或性别背景的学生、残疾或自闭症学生、国际学生或有照顾责任的学生比其他学生表现出更高程度的孤独感。长期的孤独感会损害我们的身心健康。我们最近对 37 项干预措施进行了系统审查，发现将学生聚集在一起的干预措施最有可能减少孤独感。因此，支持大学生在课堂外定期交流可能是预防/减少孤独感的干预措施的关键因素。大多数大学根据爱好/兴趣举办学生社团/俱乐部，但这些可能不是每个人都感兴趣或可以参加的。需要更具包容性的解决方案，利用学生在校园的时间，帮助打破形成社会联系的障碍。我们的目标是进一步共同设计和开发干预措施，以防止/减少广泛的孤独感学生，尤其是那些孤独风险较高的学生，他们可能很难通过现有的社团/俱乐部与他人联系。我们的干预措施包括：a) 一个应用程序（“LunchChat”），可以为共享“饮食活动”做广告； b) LunchChat 中的社交网络组件，可帮助用户介绍自己和/或寻找有共同兴趣的人； c) 培训学生成为该倡议的同行推动者； d) 在大学内开展（社交）媒体活动，宣传该倡议。“LunchChat”允许用户创建和/或加入饮食活动，并按组织者的性别等过滤活动。该应用程序让学生们在午餐或休息时间聚集在一起，围绕用餐或饮料进行社交活动。活动邀请可以是针对多人的，也可以是针对一人的。同伴发起人在学期期间定期组织集体活动（例如，每周三下午 1 点在主食堂）。这是通过宣传材料（例如桌旗）和（社交）媒体活动（包括短视频）来支持的。共享午餐时间/咖啡休息时间为那些可能因相关问题而难以加入社团/俱乐部的人提供了一种轻松的社交方式时间、地点、语言或缺乏特定技能或信心。共同进餐有助于形成社会关系，从而增加与他人的联系感和社会支持。这有助于预防/减少孤独感并增加幸福感。我们的干预措施借鉴了有关社交网络、友谊形成和膳食社会意义的文献。我们将以之前与学生共同创建和共同开发的研究为基础。带有基本组件的原型“LunchChat”应用程序是作为最后一年的计算机科学项目开发​​的。我们的下一阶段将纳入学生在最近和未来的患者和公众参与与参与 (PPIE) 会议中确定的新的重要功能。我们的目标是： 根据进一步的学生反馈和分析，完善和调整 LunchChat 应用程序，即添加新功能;游戏化；共同设计同伴推广元素，以便在学期期间通过午餐/咖啡/餐食进行定期聚会；与学生一起测试应用程序的最终版本，了解其功能、理解性/用户友好性和安全性；共同设计大学范围内（社交媒体）宣传干预措施。我们的干预措施全面实施，提供了一种以学生为主导、整个大学的综合方法来预防孤独，吸引任何背景的学生，支持更积极的大学体验。