School-Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity Among Adolescent Females

August 5, 2016 updated by: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Interventions to Increase Adolescent Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem in the United States. Research has shown that physical activity levels decline during adolescence, and the decline is greater in females than males. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a life-skills oriented physical activity intervention at increasing activity levels and decreasing cardiovascular risk factors in adolescent females.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Physical activity levels decline dramatically during adolescence, particularly among females, with the decline most apparent among African Americans. The health benefits of regular physical activity are well-known; individuals who are active have lower rates of obesity and less incidence of cardiovascular disease. Because physical activity behaviors often develop during childhood, it is important to develop programs specifically for adolescents to encourage them to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Unfortunately, few programs have been developed that specifically focus on adolescents, and the long-term effectiveness of these programs is unknown. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a life-skills oriented Comprehensive Physical Activity Program (CAP) at increasing activity levels in adolescents. Participants in the CAP program will develop new behavioral skills, which will assist them to continue a physically active lifestyle once the program ends. The purpose of this study is to compare CAP versus a standard physical education (PE) class at increasing physical activity levels and decreasing cardiovascular risk factors in adolescent African American and Caucasian females.

This study will enroll 9th grade female students who attend a high school in Baltimore, Maryland. They will be randomly assigned to participate in either a standard PE class or CAP. Participants in the CAP program will also receive support from a family member to ensure that they receive encouragement for engaging in exercise. Baseline assessments will include physical activity level; cardiorespiratory fitness; cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, lipoproteins, and body mass index (BMI); and psychosocial factors. Participants will attend follow-up visits at the end of each school year in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

300

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • College Park, Maryland, United States, 20742
        • University of Maryland

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 15 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Enrolled in 9th grade at the participating high school in Baltimore, Maryland

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Has a chronic medical disorder
  • Currently taking medications that affect the cardiovascular or metabolic systems (e.g., beta adrenergic blockers)
  • Excused from the State of Maryland's PE requirement
  • Planning on leaving the area prior to the end of the study
  • Has a sibling enrolled in the study
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Physical activity
Cardiorespiratory fitness (measured at follow-up evaluation 2 1/2 years after study entry)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Sedentary behaviors
Cardiovascular risk factors (measured by blood pressure, lipoproteins, and BMI)
Psychosocial factors (measured at follow-up evaluation 2 1/2 years after study entry)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Deborah R. Young, University of Maryland

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

February 1, 2000

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 23, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 23, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

February 24, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

August 8, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 5, 2016

Last Verified

February 1, 2006

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 359
  • R01HL063861-05 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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