school of nursing research

VCAT is a mixed methods pilot project at the University of Delaware. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a health and wellness program offered to Iraq and Afghanistan US Military Veterans to assist them in reintegration and health post deployment. Veterans are partnered with student athletes for 12 weeks. During this time, both the athletes and veterans attend 75-minute workout sessions and hour-long wellness classes twice a week. The volunteer student athletes serve as workout partners, accountability buddies, and a friendly connection to our University community. The wellness classes are presented by an interdisciplinary team of faculty members from across the university and subject experts from the community. Physiologic measures (body weight, percentage of body fat and lean muscle mass, BMI, and flexibility), psychosocial measures (resiliency, quality of life, and happiness) and qualitative descriptive data are collected pre-program, at six weeks and twelve weeks. In addition, qualitative descriptive data are collected pre-program and at twelve weeks from the college athlete volunteers.

VCAT educates the veterans about healthy behaviors and lifestyles while also inviting them to become a part of our extended UD community, an important aspect to their reintegration back into civilian life. The student athlete volunteers benefit from participating in the project through tutelage as well as gaining immense knowledge about the military, health and wellness, and the many sacrifices our veterans (and their families) make for our freedom and our country. We have recently received a grant from Highmark Blue Cross to continue our work. The long- term goal of the program is to validate the efficacy of VCAT so that VCAT becomes a regularly offered program at UD and that other universities around the country and the globe will offer VCAT to their community veterans as well.