Active Transport Educational Program Based on the Ecological Model on Improving the Physical and Mental Health: MOV-ES Project

Universidad Católica del Maule

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Physical Inactivity in Children

Treatments: Other: Active transport educational program based on the ecological model

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06357065

UCatolicaMaule

11240343 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The epidemic of physical inactivity affects the entire world and is responsible for more than 5 million deaths per year. The call of the United Nations, through the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, encourages the creation of favorable environments for physical activity based on the ecological model of physical activity. Given this context, active transportation can be an accessible, economical, and sustainable method to increase daily physical activity. The rate of school children who use active transport has decreased, being replaced by motorized transport, causing congestion and high levels of pollution in cities. In the Chilean context, there are studies of active transportation in the Chilean population; however, they are scarce in the school population and none of them is an intervention study, demonstrating the incipient development of this area in the country. The benefits of promoting active transportation not only favor the lifestyles of school children but also include additional co-benefits such as the improvement of mental health and better academic performance, in addition to the reduction of exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions.

Objectives. This proposal consists of three phases with the following objectives: Phase I: i) to synthesize the evidence about interventions aimed at estimating the effect on health of active transport in the secondary students; and ii), using qualitative techniques, to explore, from the basis of grounded theory, barriers and facilitators perceived by professors, students and parents about the development and implementation of the MOV-ES intervention. Phase II. Pilot and feasibility trial: a) to test the effect of MOV-ES intervention on improving body composition (body fat percentage and muscle mass), physical fitness (aerobic capacity and muscular strength), executive function and mental fitness (mood disorders, cognitive functioning) in the secondary students; and b), to examine the acceptability by professors, parents and students of the intervention by using ad hoc questionnaires. Phase III: to test the effectiveness of the MOV-ES intervention on physical activity, physical fitness, cognition and mental health through a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Expected results: This project will give rise to the following master's and doctoral theses, with their corresponding articles of high scientific impact: 1) Barriers and facilitators of teachers, parents and students for active transport from a qualitative approach; 2) Association between the built environment, urban features, and active transportation in high school students, 3) Effectiveness of an active transportation educational intervention on physical fitness and body composition, 4) Effectiveness of an active transportation educational intervention on the cognition of schoolchildren. It is expected that the results of the MOV-ES Project will transcend the physical health of schoolchildren and will have an impact on the school community, especially by decongesting the school environment. Through these results, the Ministry of Education, regional DAEM, municipalities, and educational establishments will be able to propose public policies that favor the practice of physical activity and the acquisition of healthy habits at school age. All of the above is based on quality indicators proposed by the Education Quality Agency.

Enrollment: 180 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Students in their third year of high school enrolled in schools in the province of Talca

Exclusion criteria

• Students who have some motor problem to carry out autonomous transportation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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180 participants in 2 patient groups

MOV-ES group

Experimental group

Description:

The design of the intervention requires incorporating content that involves intrapersonal (benefits of active transportation and safety on the way to school), interpersonal (family safety), organizational, community, physical-environmental, and political (safety, infrastructure, quality) factors. It will consist of weekly sessions of 60 to 90 minutes each for 16 weeks. The complete program has a duration of 4 months, during school hours in the subject of Physical Education, and on the premises of each establishment. The contents to be worked on will be organized in a Didactic Unit and will include the presentation of graphic and audiovisual material and practical contents. Each session will be designed based on the results of PHASE 1 of the study, following the recommendations of active transport interventions in schoolchildren , and the material available from the PACO Project.

Treatment:

Other: Active transport educational program based on the ecological model

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The CG students will participate in the initial and final measurement, but will not receive any intervention, attending their traditional Physical Education classes.