School-Based Physical Education Program and Its Effects on Motor Fitness in Malaysian Children (SPEP-FIT)

Hellenic Naval Academy

Status: Completed

Conditions: Exercise Intervention; Physical Fitness; Physical Inactivity in Children; Child Development; Childhood Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Rhythmic and Gymnastic Activities-Based School Physical Education Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06834620

PNURSP2025R424 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Hellenic Naval Academy

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the effects of a standard school physical education program (SPEP) and a rhythmic and gymnastic activities-based school physical education program (RGPEP) on the physical and motor fitness parameters of Malaysian primary school children.

Full description

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the impact of two distinct physical education programs on the physical and motor fitness of Malaysian primary school children. The intervention group participates in a rhythmic and gymnastic activities-based physical education program (RGPEP), designed to enhance balance, coordination, flexibility, and agility through structured, progressive activities. The control group follows the standard school physical education program (SPEP) in line with the national curriculum, which emphasizes general fitness and physical activity without specific rhythmic or gymnastic components.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 8 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged 8 years at the time of enrollment.
• Both boys and girls.
• Regular school attendance during the academic year.
• No diagnosed health conditions or chronic diseases that could interfere with physical activity.
• Not involved in extracurricular sports activities outside the school environment.
• Not engaged in extra traveling to and from school on foot or by bicycle.
• Parents or legal guardians provided written informed consent.
• The child provided verbal assent to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Children missing more than 20% of scheduled physical education classes.
• Overweight children with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m².
• Underweight children with a BMI < 18.5 kg/m².
• Children involved in regular sports training or participation in extracurricular sports activities during the intervention period.
• Children with any pre-existing medical conditions or injuries that could limit participation in physical activities.
• Children with developmental or motor impairments affecting their ability to perform the required fitness activities.
• Children on any medication that could interfere with their performance or physical fitness evaluation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Rhythmic and Gymnastics-Based Exercise Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm received 80 sessions of a Rhythmic and Gymnastics-Based Physical Education Program (RGPEP) over an academic year. The program focused on rhythmic skills, gymnastics patterns, and movement-based activities designed to enhance motor and physical fitness.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Rhythmic and Gymnastic Activities-Based School Physical Education Program

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this arm followed the standard Malaysian school physical education curriculum, which included 60 minutes of physical education and 30 minutes of health education per week, as prescribed by the Malaysian Ministry of Education.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Rhythmic and Gymnastic Activities-Based School Physical Education Program