Activity Wristband-based Intermittent Teaching Unit and Students Physical Activity and Its Psychological Mediators

Effect of an Activity Wristband-based Intermittent Teaching Unit in Physical Education on Students Physical Activity and Its Psychological Mediators: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial. School-Fit Study

Objective: The main objective of the present study was to examine the effects of an intermittent teaching unit based on the use of activity wristbands and behavior modification strategies on high school students perceptions of autonomy support, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, motivation toward Physical Education and physical activity, intention to be physically active, and habitual physical activity levels.

Materials and methods: An initial sample of 353 high school students (final sample = 175; 45.7% females; mean age = 13.3 ± 1.2 years) from two public high schools were cluster-randomly assigned into the intermittent (n = 100) and control (n = 75) groups. The intermittent group performed an intermittent teaching unit twice a week for eight weeks. Specifically, the last 15 minutes of each lesson were used. As the main strategy to promote the practice of regular physical activity, students wore an activity wristband the whole day during the intervention period. Additionally, other behavior modification strategies were also applied (e.g., educational counseling, physical activity goals or reminders). The control group also performed two Physical Education sessions a week during the intervention period, but without using wristbands or other behavior modification strategies. Before and after the intervention, as well as at the end of the follow-up period (six weeks), students' physical activity practice mediators and physical activity levels were measured by validated questionnaires.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: School
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Intermittent teaching unit; Other: No intervention group

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 175
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Valladolid, Spain, 47011
    • Santiago Guijarro-Romero

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being enrolled in the seventh to tenth grade at the secondary education level
• Participating in the normal Physical Education lessons
• Being exempt of any health problem that would make them unable to engage in physical activity normally
• Presenting the corresponding signed written consent by their legal tutors
• Presenting their own corresponding signed written assent

Exclusion Criterion:

- Not having performed the evaluation of the dependent variables correctly at the pre-intervention, post-intervention and/or follow-up measures following the administration rules (being removed only for incomplete variables and not for the overall study)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intermittent group; The intermittent group students performed an intermittent teaching unit twice a week for eight weeks aimed at promoting healthy physical activity habits. Specifically, the last 15 minutes of each lesson were used. The rest of lessons' time other contents were worked on with no relation to any health physical activity habit (i.e., acrosport, badminton, basketball, volleyball, soccer and athletics).	Other: Intermittent teaching unit; The intermittent group students performed an intermittent teaching unit twice a week for eight weeks aimed at promoting healthy physical activity habits. Specifically, the last 15 minutes of each lesson were used. The rest of lessons' time other contents were worked on with no relation to any health physical activity habit (i.e., acrosport, badminton, basketball, volleyball, soccer and athletics).
Active Comparator: Control group; The control group students also carried out two Physical Education lessons a week during the intervention period. During these lessons, contents of handball, basketball, alternative sports and traditional games were developed. However, this group did not wear physical activity activity wristbands or receive any behavior modification specific strategy developed in the intermittent group.	Other: No intervention group; The control group students also carried out two Physical Education lessons a week during the intervention period. During these lessons, contents of handball, basketball, alternative sports and traditional games were developed. However, this group did not wear physical activity activity wristbands or receive any behavior modification specific strategy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Perceived autonomy support	The Physical Education teacher autonomy-support was assessed through the Spanish version of the Multi-Dimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale for Physical Education (MD-PASS-PA). It consists of 15 items (five items per factor) that assessed organizational, procedural, and cognitive autonomy support. The items were preceded by the statement "My Physical Education teacher...". The Spanish version of MD-PASS-PA has shown adequate psychometric properties among adolescents.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up
Change in Basic psychological needs	Students' perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction in Physical Education and physical exercise were assessed using the Spanish version of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES). It consists of 12 items (four items per factor) that assessed autonomy, competence and relatedness. The items were preceded by the statement "When I do physical activity…". The Spanish version of BPNES has shown adequate psychometric properties among adolescents.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up
Change in Motivation toward Physical Education	Participants' self-determined motivation toward Physical Education was measured by the Spanish version of the Revised Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (PLOC-R). It consists of of 23 items spread over six dimensions (four items each except external regulation) that measure intrinsic motivation, amotivation, integrated, identified, introjected, and external regulation. This questionnaire was preceded by the statement "I participate in Physical Education lessons…". The autonomous (i.e., averaging intrinsic, integrated, and identified regulation) and controlled (i.e., averaging introjected and external) motivations were also calculated. The Spanish version of the PLOC-R has shown adequate psychometric properties among adolescents.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up
Change in Self-determined motivation towards physical activity	Students' motivation towards physical activity was measured using the Spanish version of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). It consists of 23 items distributed into six dimensions (four items each except identified regulation) that measure intrinsic motivation, amotivation, integrated, identified, introjected, and external regulation. This questionnaire was preceded by the statement: "I do physical activity...". The autonomous and controlled motivations were also calculated. The Spanish version of the BREQ-3 has shown adequate psychometric properties among high-school students.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up
Change in Intention to be physically active	Students' intention to be physically active in their free time was measured using the Spanish version of the Intention to partake in leisure-time physical activity questionnaire. It is composed of three items. The items were preceded by the sentence: "In my free time, after school ...". The Spanish version of this questionnaire has shown adequate psychometric properties among adolescents.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up
Change in Habitual physical activity	Students' habitual physical activity was measured using the Physician-based Assessment and Counseling for Exercise questionnaire (PACE). It consists of two questions that measure how many days in the last week and in a habitual week at least 60 minutes of physical activity are performed. A 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 0 to 7 was used. The PACE questionnaire has shown adequate psychometric properties among high-school students.	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after 6-week follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Valladolid
• Collaborators: Universidad de Granada

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 10, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): May 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 30, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): July 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 18, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2023
• Last Verified: July 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 1252/CEIH/2020

Drug and device information, study documents

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