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

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Healthy Lifestyle
Body Composition
Adolescent Obesity
Physical Fitness
Exercise
Physical Inactivity
Interventions
Other: TGfU volleyball intervention
Other: Regular physical education classes
Registration Number
NCT05853770
Lead Sponsor
University of Nis
Brief Summary

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.

Detailed Description

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.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
88
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

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
TGfU volleyball interventionTGfU volleyball interventionAccording to the national curriculum, children in Serbia must attend three regular physical education (PE) classes per week. Besides attending two regular PE classes, participants in the experimental group also followed a 16-week TGfU volleyball intervention that was implemented during the third PE class. The total number of sessions: 32 regular PE + 16 TGfU volleyball intervention .
Control groupRegular physical education classesControl group (CG) participants followed the national physical education curriculum. The CG participants conducted three regular PE classes per week or 48 regular PE classes in total.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Cardiorespiratory FitnessBaseline, 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 Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in StrengthBaseline, 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.

Change in Body WeightBaseline, after 16 weeks

Body Weight assessed using digital scale and recorded in kilograms.

Change in Muscle Mass PercentageBaseline, after 16 weeks

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

Change in AgilityBaseline, 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.

Change in Sum of skinfoldsBaseline, 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.

Change in SpeedBaseline, after 16 weeks

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

Change in FlexibilityBaseline, after 16 weeks

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

Change in BMIBaseline, 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).

Change in Body Fat PercentageBaseline, after 16 weeks

Total body fat percentage assessed using bioelectric impendence method.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Primary School "Dušan Radović"

🇷🇸

Niš, Serbia

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