UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Move over, FitBit. There’s a new way for students to track healthy choices in their daily lives: LionsCare.
This free, anonymous and confidential texting service provided by Penn State University Health Services, a unit of Student Affairs, is available to all Penn State students. Its purpose: helping students set goals and monitor their personal drinking habits to stay on target to have a great year at Penn State.
Once enrolled, students receive a text message on Thursday each week, prompting them to consider how much alcohol they plan to consume over the weekend. They receive personalized messages based on their goals. On Sunday, another message is sent asking students to reflect on their weekend drinking behavior. Students receive personalized messages based on their choices. Using a confidential code, students can log into a website to monitor their reported drinking over the course of the 12-week service.
“The intent of the program is to provide students with an evidence-based tool to monitor and track their drinking in the same way they do their diet or exercise habits to stay on track with their personal goals,” said Suzanne Zeman, coordinator of educational services in Health Promotion and Wellness in University Health Services. Additionally, one of the main goals of LionsCare is to help students reduce harm and negative consequences associated with drinking.
To enroll in this free, anonymous text-messaging service, students can text “HEALTH” to 412-906-4450. Students who enroll may request to end the service at any time during the 12-week period.
“It is our hope that students will consider using LionsCare to better understand their own habits and practice making conscious decisions about drinking, just as they do with their fitness and nutrition goals,” said Zeman.
Those interested in learning more about LionsCare should visit the University Health Services website. LionsCare is offered through a third-party company, so all student information remains anonymous.