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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05853770

Effects of Volleyball Intervention on Health-related Fitness in Primary School Students

The goal of this study is to find out if doing a 16-week volleyball program integrated in physical education classes at school can make primary school students stronger, faster, and have better endurance. The study also wants to see whether the program can lead to changes in the students' body weight, body fat, and muscle mass.

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Key information

Conditions

Physical Inactivity Adolescent Obesity Behavior Body Composition Body Weight Exercise Healthy Lifestyle Motor Activity Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obesity Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pediatric Obesity Physical Fitness Sedentary Behavior Signs and Symptoms

Age range

12 year–14 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Primary School "Dušan Radović"

Niš, 18000, Serbia

About this study

Eighty-eight healthy primary school students (mean age 13.3 years) were randomized to a TGfU volleyball intervention group (VG) or a control group (CG). CG participants attended three regular physical education (PE) classes per week, while VG participants attended two regular PE classes and a TGfU volleyball intervention that was implemented in the third PE class. The main part of each volleyball intervention session was based on the "Teaching Games for Understanding" (TGfU) model. This approach emphasizes the development of fundamental skills and tactical understanding of the game by utilizing modified games, such as small-sided games and mini-volleyball. By using this method, participants are able to increase their interaction with the ball and engage in moderate-to-vigorous gameplay intensity more frequently. The primary study outcomes were assessed before and after the 16-week intervention for both VG and CG participants. The main hypothesis is that implementation of the TGfU volleyball intervention in the physical education curriculum will lead to greater improvement in body composition and physical fitness outcomes among seventh-grade primary school students compared to those who receive traditional physical education classes, demonstrating that this intervention can be an effective method for reducing adiposity and promoting physical fitness levels among adolescents.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • seventh grade primary school students
  • were not exempt from participating in physical education classes
  • did not have any health conditions (pediatric disease, orthopedic conditions, injuries, respiratory or cardiovascular disease)
  • voluntary participation
  • obtained informed consent from parents or legal guardians

Exclusion criteria

  • exempted from participating in physical education classes
  • currently participating in other interventions
  • the presence of acute or chronic infectious disease
  • the presence of injury
  • not able to attend all intervention sessions
  • not obtaining informed consent from parents or legal guardians
  • do not want to participate voluntary

Treatment and study plan

TGfU volleyball intervention

Other

Duration of intervention: 16 week; Duration of each session: 45 minutes; Frequency: One session per week during the third PE class;

The structure of each TGfU session had three parts:

The introduction part comprised 10 minutes of moderate-intensity warm-up activities; The main part comprised mini-volleyball and small-sided games (25-30 minutes); The last part of the session was the cool-down period (5 min).

Regular Physical education classes

Other

Regular physical education classes following national physical education curriculum for second semester of seventh grade in primary school in Serbia.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Cardiorespiratory fitness is considered one of the most powerful health-related markers in adolescents. In this study, cardiorespiratory fitness is assessed using the 20-m shuttle-run test, which was adopted from the Eurofit test battery. Scoring is obtained as VO2max values (mL/kg/min).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Flexibility

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Sit-and-Reach test is used for flexibility assessment. Measurements are recorded to the nearest centimeter.

  2. Change in Speed

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Sprinting abilities are assessed through a 30 m sprint test. Sprinting times are recorded with an accuracy of 0.01 seconds.

  3. Change in Strength

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Lower limb explosive strength is assessed through vertical jump tests, squat and countermovement jumps. Jump heights were recorded to the nearest centimeter.

  4. Change in Agility

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Agility is assessed utilizing Agility T-test. Time taken to finish the test was recorded with an accuracy of 0.01 seconds.

  5. Change in Body Fat Percentage

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Total body fat percentage assessed using bioelectric impendence method.

  6. Change in Body Weight

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Body Weight assessed using digital scale and recorded in kilograms.

  7. Change in BMI

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. BMI = weight (kg) / height^2 (m^2).

  8. Change in Muscle Mass Percentage

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Total muscle mass percentage in body, assessed using bioelectric impendence method.

  9. Change in Sum of skinfolds

    Time frame: Baseline, after 16 weeks

    Measurements of skinfold thicknesses were obtained using calibrated caliper at five skinfold sites calf, suprailiac, subscapular, triceps, and biceps (recorded in mm). The sum of skinfolds was calculated by summing the thicknesses of all five skinfold sites.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Nis

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Banja Luka
  • University of Ljubljana
  • University of Milan

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of School-Based TGfU Volleyball Intervention on Physical Fitness and Body Composition in Primary School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
May 11, 2023
Registry last updated
May 11, 2023

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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