Active Living: development and quasi-experimental evaluation of a school-centered physical activity intervention for primary school children

Abstract

BackgroundThe worldwide increase in the rates of childhood overweight and physical inactivity requires successful prevention and intervention programs for children. The aim of the Active Living project is to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior of Dutch primary school children by developing and implementing tailored, multicomponent interventions at and around schools.Methods/designIn this project, school-centered interventions have been developed at 10 schools in the south of the Netherlands, using a combined top-down and bottom-up approach in which a research unit and a practice unit continuously interact. The interventions consist of a combination of physical and social interventions tailored to local needs of intervention schools. The process and short- and long-term effectiveness of the interventions will be evaluated using a quasi-experimental study design in which 10 intervention schools are matched with 10 control schools. Baseline and follow-up measurements (after 12 and 24 months) have been conducted in grades 6 and 7 and included accelerometry, GPS, and questionnaires. Primary outcome of the Active Living study is the change in physical activity levels, i.e. sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and counts-per-minute (CPM). Multilevel regression analyses will be used to assess the effectiveness of isolated and combined physical and social interventions on children’s PA levels.DiscussionThe current intervention study is unique in its combined approach of physical and social environmental PA interventions both at school(yard)s as well as in the local neighborhood around the schools. The strength of the study lies in the quasi-experimental design including objective measurement techniques, i.e. accelerometry and GPS, combined with more subjective techniques, i.e. questionnaires, implementation logbooks, and neighborhood observations.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN25497687 (registration date 21/10/2015), METC 12-4-077, Project number 200130003

The effect of a school-centered multicomponent intervention on daily physical activity and sedentary behavior in primary school children: The Active Living study

“…schoolyards, and pay little or no attention to other settings such as the local neighborhood and the home environment. In order to connect the school setting with other settings, the Active Living study has been developed and implemented as a school-centered PA intervention (Van Kann et al, 2015). To increase PA and decrease SB in primary school children, the Active Living study implemented multicomponent PA interventions at or around school to enhance PA in three domains; (1) in school, (2) during active school transport, and (3) during leisure time (Van Kann et al, 2015).…”

“…The study was conducted among 21 primary schools located in deprived areas (low SES) in the Southern-Limburg region of the Netherlands. A detailed description of the study design, methods, and implementation strategies has been published elsewhere (Van Kann et al, 2015). The Active Living study received ethical approval from the Medical Ethics Committee of the University Hospital Maastricht (METC 12-4-077) and is registered as a Current Controlled Trial (ISCTRN25497687).…”

Is our Youth Cycling to Health? Results From the Netherlands’ 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

“…Results of a study in the South of the Netherlands showed that 22% of 10-to 12-year-old primary school children, reported that they spend for 3 or more hours per day playing outside, and 21% played 2 to 3 hours per day outside. 17 These data were self-reported by children. 17 A small study initiated by Jantje Beton (a foundation to promote outdoor play) showed that boys play 'more often outside' than girls (21% versus 14%).…”

“…17 These data were self-reported by children. 17 A small study initiated by Jantje Beton (a foundation to promote outdoor play) showed that boys play 'more often outside' than girls (21% versus 14%). 18 Active Transportation: A Active Transportation was graded an A, because NHS data showed that 79% of the 12-to 17-year-old children cycled 3 or more days to or from school or work and 17% of the 12-to 17-year-old children walked 3 or more days to or from school or work.…”

Evaluating health promotion in complex adaptive school systems

“…-The willingness to participate in a process of change depends on motivation, capacity, and opportunity [69]. -A process of change in a complex system does not have a linear cause-effect relationship: e.g., small changes can produce large effects at so-called 'tipping-points' (non-linearity) [48,70]. -How suitable a change is, depends on the school context [47,68].…”