Effects of a Peer-led Walking In ScHools Intervention
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Physical Activity
- Registration Number
- NCT02871830
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Ulster
- Brief Summary
Children and young people are recommended to undertake at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each day. However recent findings have indicated that only 51% of children aged 7 years were meeting these guidelines. Previous research has also highlighted girls are significantly less active than. Furthermore, children living in Northern Ireland are least likely to meet the guidelines, with only 43.4% of children here reaching the recommended ≥ 60 minutes a day. The development of interventions which can successfully increase levels of physical activity in adolescent girls in Northern Ireland is of key importance. The aim of this intervention is to investigate whether or not girls (aged 11-13 years) can increase their daily levels of physical activity over a 12 week period by taking part in a school-based brisk walking intervention. The impact of participating in a school-based brisk walking intervention on a range of other outcome measures will also be investigated. A total sample of 200 adolescent females will be recruited onto the study, with recruitment of participants taking place at the school level. Following written consent from parents/guardians and assent from participants, participants will be randomised at the school level to either participate in the walking intervention or to act as controls. Objective physical activity will be assessed at 3 time points using an Actigraph accelerometer. At baseline, post-intervention (12 weeks) and follow up (4 months post-intervention) participants will also undergo measurements of height, weight, waist and hip circumference, bloody pressure, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Participants will also complete questionnaires assessing levels of physical activity and a number of psychosocial variables at each time point. Following completion of follow up measurements, a sub-sample of participants (n=45) will be invited to take part in focus groups to evaluate their experiences of the intervention.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- Female
- Target Recruitment
- 200
- 11-13 years old
- Female
- Attend a school selected to take part in the study
- Healthy and free from any medical condition that limits their participation in a brisk walking intervention, for example, a musculoskeletal injury
- Male pupils
- Those who are unable to walk or for whom walking is contraindicated will not be eligible for inclusion
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Physical activity intervention group Physical Activity -
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Total daily physical activity Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Measured for 7 consecutive days using Actigraph accelerometer at each time-point
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Self-efficacy for walking Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Psychosocial questionnaire - adapted walking self-efficacy scale
Waist hip ratio Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Physical activity intensity Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Measured for 7 consecutive days using Actigraph accelerometer at each time-point
Cardiorespiratory fitness Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Measured using the Queens College Step test
Self-efficacy for physical activity Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Psychosocial questionnaire - Children's physical activity self-efficacy scale
Social support for physical activity and walking Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Social support for physical activity and walking from male and female parents/guardians and friends scale
Self-reported physical activity Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Measured using Physical Activity Questionnaire for children
Weight Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Attitude to exercise Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention Psychosocial questionnaire - perceived benefits and barriers to exercise scale
Blood pressure Change between baseline and post-intervention (12 weeks) and 4-months post-intervention