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Combating Physical Inactivity Pandemic in Kindergartens

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Physical Activity
Interventions
Other: Usual Care Control
Behavioral: Physical Activity Enhanced Curriculum
Registration Number
NCT05521490
Lead Sponsor
The University of Hong Kong
Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a kindergarten-based, parent-involved intervention during the upper kindergarten year (K3) on physical activity and physical fitness in preschool children.

Detailed Description

This study is a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. Kindergartens will be randomly allocated to two groups: the usual care group and the intervention group. The usual care group will continue with their usual curriculum, which includes 30 minutes of daily physical activity stipulated by the Hong Kong SAR Government's Education Bureau. The intervention group will receive an additional 2.5 hours of physical activity per week in addition to the stipulated 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Outcome measures will be examined at baseline, 10 months (post-intervention), and 16 months (follow-up).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
3300
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  1. Inherent or serious disease limiting participation in physical activity (e.g., congenital heart disease, pediatric cancer, Down syndrome).
  2. Diagnosed mental illness impairing daily behavior and performance (e.g., anxiety disorder, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychotic disorders, autism spectrum disorder).
  3. Physical disability (e.g., physical handicap, assistive device to walk).
  4. Visual or hearing impairment.
  5. Cognitive deficit or intellectual disability that requires special care and educational needs (e.g., handicapped children with learning difficulties).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Usual Care ControlUsual Care ControlChildren allocated to the control group will continue with their usual curriculum, which includes the stipulated 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
Physical Activity Enhanced CurriculumPhysical Activity Enhanced CurriculumChildren allocated to the intervention group will receive enhanced physical fitness and healthy lifestyle education and a physical activity enhanced curriculum during their school year.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Cardiorespiratory FitnessBaseline and 10 months

Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-meter shuttle run test.

Change in Physical ActivityBaseline and 10 months

Physical activity will be assessed using an actigraph device with a three-axis accelerometer.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Cardiorespiratory FitnessBaseline and 16 months

Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-meter shuttle run test.

Change in Muscle PowerBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Muscle power will be assessed using a vertical jump and a stationary long jump test.

Change in Physical ActivityBaseline and 16 months

Physical activity will be assessed using an actigraph device with a three-axis accelerometer.

Change in AgilityBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Agility will be assessed using a 4 x 10-meter shuttle run test.

Change in Body Mass IndexBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Weight and height will be assessed using a calibrated electronic digital weighing scale and stadiometer respectively.

Change in Theory of Planned Behavior Scale ScoreBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Theory of Planned Behavior Scale (TPBS) will be used to assess the children's social cognitive beliefs of health and physical activity behavior. The items in TPBS will be answered on a 3-point Likert scale with a higher score corresponding to a greater willingness to engage in the mentioned behaviors.

Change in Sedentary Behavior and Screen TimeBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Sedentary behavior and screen time will be assessed using a 7-day activities logbook and accelerometer data.

Change in Muscular StrengthBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Muscular strength will be assessed using a handgrip dynamometer.

Change in Waist CircumferenceBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Waist circumference will be assessed using an inelastic measuring tape to the nearest 0.1cm.

Change in FlexibilityBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Flexibility will be assessed using the sit-and-reach test.

Change in Balance AbilityBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Balance ability will be assessed by the number of successful steps performed on a balance beam.

Change in Body FatBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Body fat will be assessed using a bioelectrical impedance-based multi-frequency segmental body composition analyzer (MC780, Tanita, Japan).

Change in Fat-Free MassBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Fat-free mass will be assessed using a bioelectrical impedance-based multi-frequency segmental body composition analyzer (MC780, Tanita, Japan).

Change in Kiddy-KINDLBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Kiddy-KINDL will be used to assess the health-related quality of life in children.

Change in Early Development InstrumentBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Early Development Instrument (EDI) will be used to assess the children's general well-being.

Change in Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire ScoreBaseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ) will be used to assess the children's autonomous motivation and beliefs on active healthy lifestyles. The items in TSRQ will be answered on a 3-point Likert scale with a higher score corresponding to greater autonomous motivation.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

LKS Faculty of Medicine

🇭🇰

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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