The Impact of a 3-day High-altitude Mountain Trek on the Emotional States of Children

The mood was influenced by many factors in children. Sport, such as high-altitude mountain trek activity was thought benefit for human's mood and health. The expedition therapy was more and more popular in many schools recently. However, as the investigators best knowledge, there was no article discuss the relation between the mood and high-altitude mountain trek activity such as benefit influence in children. So, the investigators conduct the study.

Method: Demographic data will be recorded. The Professor Yeh's mood questionnaires were used to record the mood status of before and after the 3 days high-altitude mountain trek activity.

Statistical analyses: Participants rated their emotional states (happiness, sadness, anticipation, and anger) on a Likert scale. Each variable will be presented as descriptive statistics. Student t test or other suitable statistical method(s) will be used to determine the correction among the variables with scores of mood status. The paired t test or other suitable statistical method(s) will be used to determine the correction among the scores of mood status before and after the mountain activity. A difference was considered statistically significant if the p value were less than 0.05. All statistical analyses will be performed using SPPS statistical software for Windows, version 14 or more updated version.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Emotions
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 180

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 11 years to 13 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Sixth-grade elementary students who participated in a 3-day, 2-night high-altitude mountain walking trek from the trailhead (2,140 m above sea level) to the summit of Xue Mountain (3,886 m above sea level).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sixth-grade elementary students who participated in a 3-day, 2-night high-altitude mountain walking trek from the trailhead (2,140 m above sea level) to the summit of Xue Mountain (3,886 m above sea level)
• Subject who provide the written informed consent from participants and their legal guardians before the distribution of the questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not Sixth-grade elementary students.
• Not finish the 3-day, 2-night high-altitude mountain walking trek from the trailhead (2,140 m above sea level) to the summit of Xue Mountain (3,886 m above sea level)
• Subject who do not provide the written informed consent from participants and their legal guardians before the distribution of the questionnaires.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from baseline Emotion States (happiness, anticipation, sadness, and anger) at 1 week after the trek.	A 36-item instrument, including the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire was used to evaluate the four emotional states (happiness, anticipation, sadness, and anger). Specifically, 12 questions yielded the happy index, 10 questions yielded the sadness index, 9 questions yielded the anger index, and 5 questions yielded the anticipation index. A Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4 was used to evaluate individual items (1, strongly disagree; 2, disagree; 3, agree; and 4, strongly agree).	1 month before the trek and 1 week after the trek.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Age	Age in years	1 month before the trek.
Gender	Gender in male or female	1 month before the trek.
Weight	Weight in kilograms	1 month before the trek.
Height	Height in centimeters	1 month before the trek.
Blood type	Blood type in A, B, O, or AB blood types	1 month before the trek.
Family configuration-father's and mother's Education level	Junior high school, Senior high school, College, University, Graduate school, PH.D. or other	1 month before the trek.
Family configuration-All Siblings	1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th child	1 month before the trek.
Family configuration-live with which family or families	Live with both parents, mother only, father only, grandparents, or other relatives.	1 month before the trek.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: SHIH-HAO WANG, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 29, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): July 13, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 13, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2016
• Last Verified: July 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: anger; happiness; anticipation; sadness
• Other Study ID Numbers: 100-0921B