Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy (3PL)

This pilot study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a previously developed and tested physical literacy (PL) intervention. A promising and internationally tested intervention, the Youth Physical Activity Towards Health (Y PATH), is based on the theory of PL and has proven to be effectful on children's PA levels and motor skills The Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy (3 PL) project aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of the previously developed and tested Y-PATH intervention in a Danish context among a pupils (9 11 years of age). The hypothesis is that a revised 3 PL intervention protocol, aiming to increase pupils' PL, is ready for effectiveness testing by the end of this project.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Literacy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy Intervention

Detailed Description

This pilot study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a previously developed and tested physical literacy (PL) intervention. Regular participation in physical activity (PA) through life can improve health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. However, a considerable number of Danish children and adolescents do not meet national PA recommendations. Over the last few years, the construct of PL has gained popularity around the world and has become recognized as a proximal measure for lifelong engagement in PA. PL is a multidisciplinary and comprehensive concept describing an individual's prerequisites to participate in and adhere to physical activities throughout the life course PL includes the elements motivation, confidence, motor skills, physical capacity, knowledge and understanding. In Denmark, development towards theoretically driven and evidence-based PL interventions that aim to increase children's PL have not yet begun. A promising and internationally tested intervention, the Youth Physical Activity Towards Health (Y-PATH), is based on the theory of PL and has proven to be effectful on children's PA levels and motor skills. The Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy (3 PL) project aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of the previously developed and tested Y-PATH intervention in a Danish context among pupils (9-11 years of age). The hypothesis is that a revised 3 PL intervention protocol, aiming to increase pupils' PL, is ready for effectiveness testing by the end of this project.

Four schools will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention or control condition. The primary outcomes include the feasibility and acceptability of the 3 PL intervention and will be in concordance with guidance proposed by the Medical Research Council and The Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development. Feasibility of the practicality and recruitment process will be assessed within a document log administered by the project group. The acceptability including demand and experiences, and the intervention implementation degree (secondary outcome) will be evaluated by short bimonthly questionnaires to teachers and interviews with pupils, teachers, parents, and school managers. Preliminary effectiveness (secondary outcome) will be tested by comparing changes in pupils' PL assessed with the Danish Assessment of Physical Literacy (DAPL) tool.

First and foremost, the testing of feasibility and acceptability of a previously developed international intervention will provide a revised 3 PL intervention, a Template for Intervention Description and Replication TIDieR checklist and a protocol, which will provide a solid empirical and theoretical foundation for a future upscaled effectiveness study. The development of a TIDieR checklist and a protocol provides international and national researchers the opportunity to use and compare effectiveness across countries and cultures.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 336
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Peter Bentsen, PhD; Phone Number: +4540824586; Email: peter.bentsen@regionh.dk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Thea Toft Amholt, PhD; Phone Number: +4542427323; Email: thea.toft.amholt@regionh.dk

Study Locations

• Denmark
  • Frederiksberg
    • Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark, 2000
      • Recruiting
      • Center for Clinical Research and Prevension, Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg Hospital
      • Contact: Peter Bentsen, PhD; Phone Number: +4540824586; Email: peter.bentsen@regionh.dk
  • Nørrebro
    • Copenhagen, Nørrebro, Denmark, Nørre Allé 51
      • Recruiting
      • University of Copenhagen
      • Contact: Glen Nielsen, PhD; Email: gnielsen@nexs.ku.dk
  • Odense M
    • Odense, Odense M, Denmark, 5230
      • Recruiting
      • University of Southern Denmark
      • Contact: Paulina Melby, PhD; Email: paulina.sander.melby@regionh.dk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

School/class-level

• Non-special needs municipal school classes
• Classes that are not in other school development or research projects which would most likely influence and bias the results

Pupil-level

• Pupils with parents/guardians who have provided written informed consent, allowing their child to participate
• Pupils who have provide an oral assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pupils who do not live up to the inclusion criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; Two schools (grade 4-5) will be randomly assigned to recieve the 3PL intervention in their physical education classes during one school year.	Behavioral: Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy Intervention; The physical literacy intervention 3PL is based on activities, games, and modifications of the physical education classes to target and enhance pupils' physical literacy.; Other Names: 3PL
No Intervention: Control group; Two schools (grade 4-5) will be randomly assigned to the control group and will continue their normal physical education classes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acceptance rate	Percentage of invited schools participating.	6 months
Success of intervention implementation in PE lessons	Three observations during physical education lessons (PE) that assess the acceptability of the intervention. Also, PE teachers will receive a weekly questionnaire to assess whether they have used the intervention materials in their PE lessons.	11 months
Success of intervention implementation in school systems	Qualitative interviews with school managers and teachers will be undertaken to detect perceived positive or negative effects on organization and how the intervention fits within the school culture.	11 months
Success of intervention implementation for pupils	Qualitative interviews with pupils will be undertaken to understand their experiences of the PE lessons.	11 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical literacy (preliminary effectiveness)	This study will assess PL among the pupils before and after the intervention period using the Danish Assessment of Physical Literacy (DAPL) that has been developed and validated in the DAPL project supported by TrygFonden #125640.	11 months
Daily physical activity (preliminary effectiveness)	Physical Activity will be measured with Axivity® AX3 accelerometers worn for 7 consecutive days. Axivity tracks physical activity in activity counts.	11 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Center for Clinical Research and Prevention
• Collaborators: University of Copenhagen; TrygFonden, Denmark
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Peter Bentsen, PhD, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention; Study Director: Mads Bølling, PhD, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention; Study Director: Thea Toft Amholt, PhD, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention; Study Director: Glen Nielsen, PhD, University of Copenhagen; Study Director: Paulina Melby, PhD, University of Copenhagen; Study Director: Mette Kurtzhals, Cand.scient, University of Southern Denmark; Study Director: Peter Elsborg, PhD, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Adaptation Protocol

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 3, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): April 20, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Health promotion; Prevention; Education; School children; Physical education; School based intervention; Physical literacy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Communication; Literacy
• Other Study ID Numbers: TRYG153181

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No