Effects of a Physical Literacy Breaks (PLBreaks) Program on Physical Literacy and Body Composition in Portuguese Schoolchildren: A Study Protocol

Abstract

(1) Background: Several studies have shown that active breaks have led to different improvements in their participants. However, no studies have assessed how they affect physical literacy (PL). (2) Aims: Therefore, this study will examine the effect of the PLBreaks programme on school children’s PL and body composition. (3) Methods: A parallel-group randomised controlled trial will be conducted with assessments of PL (Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy Development) and body composition (height, bodyweight, fat mass and fat-free mass) before and after an active breaks programme. PLBreak programme will run for 3 months and will be carried out 3 days a week for 20 min each day. The PLBreaks programme will consist of two blocks of 10 min of different physical activities (PA). The first block will be focused on the acquisition of knowledge and healthy life habits that will contribute to the development of the domains of knowledge and understanding and daily activity. The second block will be focused on physical competence and motivation throughout games. (4) Conclusions: The present study will investigate the efficacy of PLBreaks in schoolchildren in improving their PL and body composition. If the efficacy of the program is demonstrated, including the programme in public education programmes can be possible. This could be a scientific breakthrough in terms of health-related PA improvement and adherence, as well as the prevention of diseases associated with inactivity.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Physical Literacy Studies in Relation to Health of Children and Adolescents

“…The development of LP programs and resources has enabled the establishment of new partnerships between sectors in the country. Regarding the interventions that have been carried out regarding PL among children and adolescents, most of them focus on some of the domains that constitute PL and not the development of PL as a whole, in addition to being carried out within the school environment either during break periods [ 34 ], physical education classes [ 32 , 33 ], or in out-of-school settings either with the children themselves [ 35 , 36 ] or as assessed by their parents [ 63 ], and only a few of these interventions assess health-related variables [ 24 ]. As highlighted [ 60 , 64 ], it is difficult to make a conclusive statement regarding the effectiveness of an intervention program due to the paucity of intervention studies on PL promotion.…”

“…This constitutes a strong wake-up call for health professionals and public administration to recognize the magnitude of these problems [ 19 ] and participate in the development of administrative strategies and the utilization of public health resources for these issues’ prevention [ 19 , 20 ]. Several countries are already developing programs or initiatives with the aim of preventing pathologies associated with sedentary lifestyles, for which PA is a key focus [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Partnerships are even being developed between countries such as the USA, Mexico, and Canada to combat childhood obesity by exchanging data and proposing initiatives in an attempt to improve prevention programs and health promotion in their respective countries [ 25 ].…”

“…Therefore, recently, several research groups have been developing [ 24 ] or carrying out programs and/or interventions for the improvement of PL among children and adolescents both during the school day [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] and out-of-school periods [ 35 , 36 ] as well as among other populations such as university students [ 37 ] or adults [ 38 ].…”

Effects of Structured Games Led by Classroom Teachers on Preschool Student Fundamental Motor Skills

“…The FMS learning process in children is a dynamic process characterized by continuous interaction between tasks and the environment of children (Mendoza-Muñoz et al, 2022). The time spent to engage in a movement task in a structured game, that is relevant with instructions from the teacher, and led directly by the teacher, including duration, frequency, and the child understanding of the movement task, is a good predictor for the development of a child FMS (Mota et al, 2020).…”

Effects of a 4-Week After-School Physical Literacy Program on Health-Related Quality of Life and Symptomatology in Schoolchildren with ADHD: A Study Protocol

“…Experimental group: an after-school intervention based on the development of the PL domains will be implemented based on a previous study [31]. Considering the duration of previous PA interventions in this population [32], a period of 4 weeks, with 2 sessions per week of 55 min duration, was established.…”