Outcomes of the Rope Skipping ‘STAR’ Programme for Schoolchildren

Abstract

Physical activity in children and adolescents is on a decline trend. To this end, we conducted a matched-pair randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a 4-week STAR (School-based; Train-the-trainer; Accessibility of resources; Recreational) skipping programme. 1,386 schoolchildren from 20 primary and secondary schools were recruited. Schools were randomized into the experimental or wait-list control group. Participants self-reported their health-related quality of life using the KIDSCREEN-27. Accelerometers were used to measure the time a subgroup of participants (n = 480) spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during school hours on five consecutive days. Measures were taken at pre- and post-test. At post-test, students in the experimental group, compared to those in the control group, engaged in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during school hours. Health-related quality of life from two groups of students was similar, but the experimental group reported higher levels of autonomy and parent relationships. Results suggested that although the intervention did not increase students’ physical activity levels, it slightly improved their health-related quality of life. Future studies should explore personal factors that might mediate the effect of the intervention.

Methodological considerations and impact of school‐based interventions on objectively measured physical activity in adolescents: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…The inter‐rater reliability showed a percentage agreement of 84% across the 104 items ( k = 0.75). Most studies reported adequate results for each group and presented baseline characteristics separately for treatment groups for at least one outcome measure . Assessor blinding was reported in three studies , and in seven studies, all allocated subjects were analysed and not excluded because of missing data or non‐compliance .…”

“…The intervention duration ranged from 4 weeks to 28 months with a median duration of 9 months. Four studies utilized single‐component interventions to promote PA , while nine studies employed multiple intervention components .…”

Interventions aimed at preventing and reducing overweight/obesity among children and adolescents: a meta-synthesis

“…Over the past decades, numerous interventions have been introduced to motivate children and adolescents to eat more healthily and exercise more often, designed for different contexts, such as school (9)(10)(11), family home (12,13), sports club (14,15) and online (16,17). Interventions are of short (e.g.…”

Physical activity and social connectedness interventions in outdoor spaces among children and youth: a rapid review

“…The most popular form of intervention involved modifying the built environment or providing additional equipment and supports for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Other interventions deployed programming [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53] or curriculum changes involving outdoor space [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63] to promote physical activity. The concept of fostering spontaneous play in school and community-based settings was often an underlying component of these interventions.…”