Examination of Happy Homework 2.0 on 24-hour Movement Behaviours in Scottish Primary School Children - Early Years Feasibility Trial

Purpose

Happy Homework is a homework programme designed to help primary school children build healthier daily habits. It focuses on children's "24-hour movement behaviours," which include being physically active, spending less time sitting, and getting enough sleep. Children complete short activities at home during the week with a parent or caregiver.

An earlier version of Happy Homework, tested with children aged 9-12 years, helped improve physical activity, sleep, and healthy eating. Feedback from families and schools suggested that the programme could work even better if it was delivered through a digital app rather than paper homework sheets.

As a result, Happy Homework 2.0 was developed as an app-based version of the programme. This study aims to find out whether the app is suitable, acceptable, and helpful for younger children aged 4-8 years. The study will explore whether children and families enjoy using the app, whether schools can successfully deliver the programme, and whether it may improve children's daily movement habits.

Why This Study Is Important

Healthy movement behaviours across the whole day are important for children's physical and mental health. This includes regular physical activity, limited sedentary behaviour such as long periods sitting or using screens, and good sleep.

Several countries, including Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, have introduced 24-hour movement guidelines for children. These guidelines encourage children to move more, sit less, and sleep well. However, research shows that many children in the UK are not meeting these recommendations. Only a small number of children achieve healthy levels of physical activity, sleep, and low sedentary time together.

Parents and the home environment can strongly influence children's habits because children spend much of their time at home. Research has shown that school programmes which include homework activities can improve children's sleep, reduce sedentary behaviour, and increase physical activity.

Happy Homework was designed to support healthy movement habits in a simple and accessible way. It does not require expensive equipment or special facilities, making it suitable for families from different backgrounds. While the programme has already shown positive results in older primary school children, it has not yet been adapted or tested with younger children aged 4-8 years.

Research also shows that children often become less physically active as they get older, especially when moving into adolescence. Supporting healthy habits earlier in childhood may help prevent inactive lifestyles from developing later on. Since many children in the UK, including those in Scotland, are not meeting healthy movement recommendations, there is a need for programmes like Happy Homework that can be used widely in schools and homes.

Study Design

This study will use a mixed-methods design, meaning it will collect both numerical information and feedback from participants about their experiences.

The study will begin with up to three co-design workshops. These workshops will help researchers improve and adapt the app for younger children before the main study takes place. The workshops will involve primary school head teachers, classroom teachers, parents, caregivers, and primary school children aged 4-8 years. Children, parents, and teachers will share their views about the app and homework activities, and researchers will use this feedback to improve the programme.

After the workshops, a randomised feasibility trial will take place. The study has been designed using recognised research guidelines and will be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov before recruitment begins.

Methodology

Children will only take part if a parent or caregiver provides consent and the child agrees to participate. To avoid influencing results, schools and participants will take part in either the workshops or the feasibility trial, but not both.

The workshops will take place in schools so children are in a familiar and comfortable environment. Teachers and other adult participants will be encouraged to attend in person, although online participation will also be available if needed. Workshops will be audio-recorded using university equipment so researchers can accurately analyse discussions later. Recordings will then be written out word-for-word for analysis.

The main study will involve four primary schools in South Lanarkshire. Two schools will use the Happy Homework 2.0 app, while two schools will continue with normal practice as a comparison group.

The programme will last between 8 and 12 weeks. Researchers will collect information at the beginning of the study and again immediately after the programme ends. This will help assess whether the app can be successfully delivered and whether it may improve children's movement behaviours.