Increasing Children's Physical Activity by Policy (CAP)
Status
Conditions
Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
Levels of physical activity (PA) and physical fitness in children are low and declining, both globally and in Sweden. Preschools are important settings with the potential to influence the majority (>93%) of Swedish children's PA behaviors in early stage of life (<5 years). Preschool policy is an organizational level factor associated with children's PA but the casual link remains unclear. A cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing a policy package for children's PA levels and other relevant health indicators.
Full description
The overarching aim of the proposed project is to examine the effects of implementing physical activity (PA) policies in preschools on PA and indicators of health in young children. The proposed project is a unique collaboration between the applicants and Stockholm stad which will result in PA policies, that will be implemented in all 658 public preschools within the Stockholm region, having the possibility to affect more than 38 000 children.
The current study is designed as a cluster randomized controlled trial with 2 conditions (intervention vs. control) and preschools serving as the unit of randomization. Measures of primary and secondary outcomes will be obtained at baseline and at 6-months on an individual level.
This study will provide robust evidence of the effect of structural changes, at the organizational level of preschools, on children's PA and indicators of health. Notably, such robust evidence is urgently warranted as Swedish preschool children's PA levels are low which will have long-lasting effects on their lives. Finally, as the intervention has been developed in co-creation with Stockholm stad it has the possibility to, if proven effective, be implemented rapidly within preschools.
Enrollment
Sex
Ages
Volunteers
Inclusion criteria
On preschool level:
- Located in Stockholm county
- Public preschool
- At least 60 children enrolled in preschool
- Chief of the preschool accepted the invitation for participation
On individual level-preschool children
- Enrolled in participating preschool
- 3-5 years old at the time of study start
- Parents signed informed consent
- Can participate in regular physical activity
On individual level-preschool teachers
- Full-time employee at the participating preschool
- Teachers responsible for participating children
Exclusion criteria
On preschool level:
- Located outside Stockholm county
- Private preschool
- Less than 60 children enrolled in preschool
- Chief of the preschool not willing to participate
On individual level-preschool children
- Not enrolled in participating preschool
- Outside 3-5 years old age range at study start
- Parents declined informed consent
- Cannot participate in regular physical activity due to mobility disability etc.
On individual level-preschool teachers
- Not full-time employee at the participating preschool
- Not responsible for any participating children
Trial design
Primary purpose
Allocation
Interventional model
Masking
4,000 participants in 2 patient groups
Trial contacts and locations
Loading...
Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
Clinical trials
Research sites
Resources
Legal