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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03436355

Active School. A School-based Intervention to Increase Childrens Daily Physical Activity Level.

This study seeks to explore whether increased physical activity in school affects children's executive function, aerobic Fitness and childrens self-regulation. The "Active school" study was a 10-month randomized controlled trial. The sample included 449 children (10-11 years old) in five intervention and four control schools. The weekly interventions were 2×45 minutes physically active academic lessons, 5×10 minutes physically active breaks, and 5×10 minutes physically active homework. Aerobic fitness was measured using a 10-minute interval running test. Executive function was tested using four cognitive tests (Stroop, verbal fluency, digit span, and Trail Making). A composite score for executive function was computed and used in analyses.

Self-regulation was measured by the Child Behavior Rating Scale.

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Key information

Age range

8 year–11 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • all children attending 5th grade at the included schools in Stavanger, Norway during the school-year 2014/2015.

Exclusion criteria

  • not able to participate in daily physical activity and physical education and complete the cognitive tests.

Treatment and study plan

Physical activity

Behavioral

The "Active school" study was a 10-month randomized controlled trial.The weekly interventions were 2×45 minutes physically active academic lessons, 5×10 minutes physically active breaks, and 5×10 minutes physically active homework.

Primary outcomes

  1. Inhibition

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Response inhibition was measured by Stroop Golden color-word test. Participants were naming the printed color of color words while suppressing the reading of the words. The measure was the number of words read in 45 Seconds.

  2. Working memory

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Working memory was tested by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)-IV-test, a forward and backward digit span, a test that measures working memory function. The measure was the length of the correct series of numbers repeated by the participant.

    was included

  3. Cognitive flexibility

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Cognitive flexibility was tested by two tests. First the participants were asked to list all the animals they could think of in 60 seconds as fast as they could.The number of animals was the score. Second, participants performed the Trail Making test. This involves drawing a line connecting consecutive numbers from 1 to 25 as fast as possible. Then participants were drawing a similar line, connecting alternating numbers and letters in sequence, example: 1-A-2-B. Time to complete each "trail" was recorded.

  4. Aerobic fitness

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Aerobic fitness was assessed by a 10-minute interval running test. The children ran back and forth between two lines placed 20 m apart, touching the ground behind the line with their hand every time they reversed direction.

    After 15 seconds, a teacher signaled stop and the children rested for 15 seconds before they once more ran for 15 seconds. This procedure lasted 10 minutes, and the running distance was the outcome measure.

  5. Physical activity

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Physical activity was measured using accelerometry (ActiGraph GT1M/GT3X/GT3X+, LLC, Pensacola, Florida, USA).

    The children were asked to wear the accelerometer on the right hip for seven consecutive days, removing it only during water-based activities (e.g., swimming) and while sleeping. Data were considered valid if a child had at least two days with a wear time of ≥480 min/day accumulated between 06:00 and 24:00.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Self-regulation

    Time frame: 8 months intervention

    Self-regulation was measured by the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). This is a teacher rating based on the Bronson Social Task and Skill Profile, designed to assess children's classroom goal-oriented behaviors and strategies used to regulate behavior in academic and social situations. The teacher report consisted of 10 items used to assess children's self-regulation in the classroom.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Stavanger

Other

Collaborators

  • Municipality of Stavanger
  • Regional Research Fund, Norway
  • Rogaland County Council

Registry information

Official study title

Active School. A School-based Intervention to Increase Childrens Daily Physical Activity and Its Effect on Childrens Self-regulation

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2015
First posted
Feb 19, 2018
Registry last updated
Dec 5, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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