After-school Game-Based Physical Activity Program Improves Physical Fitness of 9-10-Year-Old Children (AGPAP)

A 12-week Afterschool Game-Based Physical Activity Program Improves Physical Fitness of 9-10-Year-Old Children: A Randomized Controlled Study

This study investigates the effect of an afterschool game-based physical activity program (AGPAP) on children's PF. This study was randomized controlled trial involving 120 children from a state school in Eskisehir/Turkey. The CONSORT checklist was used in this study. The sample of 9-10 years children (n = 120) was divided into groups by randomization. The intervention consisted of AGPAP. For PF, handgrip strength, curl-ups, sit-and-reach, standing long jump, and 10-meter running speed tests were applied.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Physical Activity

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 130
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Eski̇şehi̇r
    • Odunpazari, Eski̇şehi̇r, Turkey, 26160
      • Eskisehir Tecnical University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. being 9-10-year-old,
2. volunteering,
3. permission from the child's parents,
4. not having any amputations or permanent disabilities in their bodies,
5. not having chronic or acute diseases,
6. not using a support device.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. any discomfort during measurements,
2. the child does not want to participate in the measurement,
3. the child does not participate in the practices due to any disability or discomfort,
4. not reaching 80% participation in the program.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group; EG additionally participated in AGPAP (4:00 pm-5:00 pm) twice a week, every Wednesday and Friday, for a total of 60 minutes, for 12 weeks. AGPAP started the week after the pre-tests for EG. The intervention program consisted of 24 traditional street games, including running, hopping, galloping, leaping, jumping, sliding, striking, catching, ball catching, overhand throwing, balance, one-hand throwing, flexibility, coordination, shooting at the target, and hand-arm-leg strength and both outdoor and indoor facilities were utilized based on whether conditions. Each practice phase is 60 minutes long and includes three stages: instruction and warm-up (10 min.), AGPAP practice (45 min.), and cooling-down (5 min.). Two researchers who hold graduate degrees in physical education and sport led AGPAP and recorded children's participation. At the end of the intervention, the same testing procedures and testing materials were used for post-test measurements.	Behavioral: Physical Activity; EG participated in AGPAP (4:00 pm-5:00 pm) twice a week, every Wednesday and Friday, for a total of 60 minutes, for 12 weeks. EG and CG did not participate in any additional physical activity programs after-school.
No Intervention: Control; Measurements were applied to the CG

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body Mass Index	Body weights were measured using a digital scale (SECA, Hamburg) with an accuracy of 0.1 kg while subjects were wearing as light clothing as possible and barefoot. Heights were measured using a portable stadiometer (SECA, Hamburg) with an accuracy of 0.1 cm while subjects were barefoot, with their feet together and their heads on a horizontal plane 47. The weight(kg)/height2(m) formula was used to calculate BMI.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Handgrip strength test	The hand grip strength test measures the explosive power of the upper body using an adjustable and calibrated hand dynamometer (Takei, Tokyo, Japan). Participants were asked to hold them in their right and left hands and squeeze it slowly and continuously until they reached the max. for at least 2 s. The best of 2 repetitions was recorded as the test score in kg.	12 weeks
Standing long jump test	Each participant attempted to jump as far as possible across a certain distance while standing, with their arms forward, their feet closed, and landing on the ground. The best of the 2 attempts was recorded in centimeters.	12 weeks
Curl-ups test	Participants were asked to lie with their arms crossed on their chest, their knees bent, and their feet flat on the floor. Afterward, they were asked to lift their upper bodies with their elbows facing forward, touch their knees, and then return to the lying position. The total number of complete curl-ups performed correctly in 30 seconds was recorded.	12 weeks
The sit and reach test	The sit and reach tests were applied using a specially constructed box that had a slide runner attached to the top. The accuracy of the instrument used was 0.1 cm, and the length it was able to measure was 80 cm (01285A, Lafayette, USA). Subjects sat on a flat surface with their back, shoulders, and the back of their head close to the wall for the sit-and-reach test. Their arms were straightened, their hands were placed on the tester board with palms facing down, and their legs were positioned straight. Each participant placed their hands side by side on the measurement starting line on the bench and gradually pushed the bar on the sit-and-reach bench forward to the furthest point they could while reaching with their hands without bending their knees. Each participant repeated the test two times, and the best of these two repetitions was taken into statistical evaluation.	12 weeks
10-meter running speed test	Photocells were placed at the beginning and end of the 10-meter track (Smart Speed, Fusion Sport, Brisbane, Australia). Participants waited in a standing starting position 50 cm behind the starting line and started sprinting upon receiving the command when they were ready. Two repetitions were conducted, and the best result was recorded at the end of the trials.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Elvin Onarici Gungor
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: ELVİN ONARICI GÜNGÖR, dr, Eskisehir Tecnical University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 27, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 7, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 12, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): April 9, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 9, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physical fitness; Physical activity; Game; Afterschool program
• Other Study ID Numbers: EskisehirTU-SBF-EOG-01; Eskisehir Technical University (Other Identifier: Education)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: only IPD used in the results publication
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: January 2025-January 2026
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; ICF

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