Evaluation of Innovative School-based Interventions on Health Outcomes Among Primary School Students During Post COVID-19 Pandemic (WeJoy+WeHop)

December 30, 2025 updated by: Lau Ying, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Objectives: (1) to evaluate the feasibility of innovative school-based interventions on health outcomes (psychological well-being, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical activity, sleep duration, and sleep quality) among primary students in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period; (2) to explore children's experience of intervention; (3) to evaluate the effects of innovative school-based (WeJoy + WeHop) on depressive symptoms, physical activities, and sleep quality among primary 3 to 5 school children.

Method: Two phases of the study will be conducted, including feasibility pilot study and main study. In phase 1, a sample of 40 school children will be recruited from two community centers for feasibility test and semi-structured individual face-to-face interview. In phase 2, a total of 408 school children will be recruited from primary schools in Hong Kong. This study will adopt a 2 two-group pre and post-design. Participants are randomly assigned equally into 1 intervention group (WeJoy+WeHop) and 1 control group (Routine Extra curriculum Activity). Participants will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention. The outcomes are depressive symptoms, physical activities, and sleep quality, using the Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC), the Chinese Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-C), and the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-C).

Data analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics will be performed to examine the research objectives.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered children's lifestyles, calling for particular attention. Psychological problems, obesity, and sleep disturbance in children have become more prevalent throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. It is vital to develop preventative interventions to enhance psychological well-being, prevent obesity, and improve sleep health. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in preventing psychological problems, obesity, and sleep problems in children. The provision of CBT faces obstacles such as a shortage of therapists, stigma, protracted wait times, and high costs. Evidence revealed that children prefer interventions with interactive, relatable, and game-like content to improve their engagement.

School-based CBT (WeJoy) allows children to recognize, change, and partake in pleasant activities based on the CBT model. The WeJoy comprises six weekly sessions on psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioural activation, emotional regulation, and self-monitoring. Exergaming on the interactive floor (WeHop) using a portable interactive projector games system. The WeHop can gain a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to help them regulate their emotions and maintain positive behaviours according to the Self-Determination Theory. Children participate in the interactive floor games by stepping on various targets and moving in response to the game's rules. Combining task division, cooperation, and taking turns constitutes the collaboration mechanism.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

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

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Primary students ranged from primary 3 to 5 school children.
  • Obtained consent forms from their legal guardians.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Primary students in primary 1 due to the adaptation of the new environment.
  • Primary 6 due to the preparation of the examinations for secondary schools.

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)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: School-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (WeJoy and exergaming on the interactive floor (WeHop)
School-based CBT (WeJoy) allows children to recognize, change, and partake in pleasant activities based on the CBT model. The WeJoy comprises six weekly sessions on psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioural activation, emotional regulation, and self-monitoring. Exergaming on the interactive floor (WeHop) using a portable interactive projector games system. Each session provides 2 to 3 games per week for six weeks.
Behavioral: WeJoy+WeHop
School-based CBT (WeJoy) comprises six weekly sessions on psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioural activation, emotional regulation, and self-monitoring. Exergaming on the interactive floor (WeHop) can gain a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to help them regulate their emotions and maintain positive behaviours according to the Self-Determination Theory. Children participate in the interactive floor games by stepping on various targets and moving in response to the game's rules. Combining task division, cooperation, and taking turns constitutes the collaboration mechanism.
No Intervention: Usual class
Usual extra curriculum activities that are arranged by corresponding primary schools

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Psychological outcome: Depressive symptoms
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention
Depressive symptoms will be assessed by the Chinese version of 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children, CES-DC
baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical activity
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention
Level of physical activities will be measured by the Chinese Version of 7-item International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ-C
baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention
Sleep outcomes include subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention
Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction will be assessed by the Chinese version of 19-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Chinese PSQI
baseline, pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong

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 (Actual)

February 23, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 19, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 31, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

January 9, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 30, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CV-2024-YL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

The data does not collect yet and the research team does not decide the plan to share IPD.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

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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