Active Families, Healthy Minds: A Family-Centered School Physical Activity Program for Early Adolescents (AFHM)

February 1, 2026 updated by: Ma Ruisi, Jinan University Guangzhou

A Cluster Randomized Control Trial of a Family-Centered School Physical Activity Program to Improve Early Adolescent Mental Health in China

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a family-centered school physical activity program, titled "Active Families, Healthy Minds," designed to improve mental health among early adolescents (ages 10-14) in China.

In response to high academic pressure and low physical activity levels, this program integrates structured physical education sessions at school with simple, interactive home-based activity routines involving parents. The study compares this family-supported intervention against a standard school-only physical activity program and a wait-list control group. The primary goal is to determine if involving parents in school-based physical activity initiatives leads to better mental well-being, increased habitual physical activity, and stronger family support compared to school-only approaches.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Adolescent mental health is a significant public health concern, particularly in China where academic pressure often limits opportunities for physical activity (PA). This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) tests a "Active Families, Healthy Minds" program built on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), targeting the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).

The study involves three parallel arms:

Intervention Group (Family-Supported Program): Students participate in structured aerobic games during school PE sessions (twice weekly). Additionally, families implement a home component consisting of one weekday and one weekend joint activity. Parents and children co-plan activities using goal sheets and receive weekly prompts via the WeChat app to facilitate planning and positive communication.

Active Control Group: Students receive the same dose of school-based physical activity (frequency, intensity, and content) as the intervention group but without the structured family engagement component or home routines.

Wait-list Control Group: Students continue with the standard school curriculum and routine services without additional intervention.

The primary outcome is mental well-being, measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Secondary outcomes include basic psychological need satisfaction, habitual physical activity levels, physical literacy, exercise enjoyment, exercise motivation, and parental support. Data are collected at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months follow-up to assess the trajectory of change.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

345

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

  • China
      • Guangzhou, China
        • School of Physical Education, Jinan University

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:

  • Enrolled as a student at the participating study schools.
  • Aged between 10 and 14 years.
  • Provided written parental consent and written student assent.
  • Able to comprehend and complete questionnaires in Chinese.
  • Judged by the school health team as safe to participate in moderate-intensity physical activity.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a physician-advised restriction on exercise.
  • Suffering from an acute illness at the time of baseline assessment.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Family-Supported Intervention
Students participate in structured school-based physical activity sessions twice a week. Additionally, families implement weekly home activity routines (one weekday, one weekend) supported by goal-setting sheets and WeChat prompts to foster parental engagement.
Behavioral: Family-Supported PA Program

Consists of two components:

School component: Structured aerobic games and skills practice delivered by PE teachers twice a week.

Home component: Weekly parent-child joint activity routines (one weekday, one weekend) supported by goal-setting sheets. Parents receive weekly WeChat prompts to facilitate planning and positive communication.
Active Comparator: Active Control (School-Only PA)
Students participate in the same structured school-based physical activity sessions (twice a week) as the intervention group. They receive general health handouts but do not engage in structured family routines or receive home-based support.
Behavioral: School-Only PA Program
Consists of structured aerobic games and skills practice delivered by PE teachers twice a week (same frequency and intensity as the family intervention). Participants receive general health education handouts but do not engage in structured family routines or receive home-based support.
Other: Wait-List Control
Students continue with the standard school curriculum and routine physical education classes. They receive no additional intervention during the study period but are offered educational materials after the final assessment.
Behavioral: Standard Physical Education
Participants continue with the standard school curriculum and routine physical education classes. No additional structured activities or materials are provided during the study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mental Well-being (WEMWBS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). The scale contains 14 positively worded items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 = 'none of the time' to 5 = 'all of the time'). Total scores range from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating better mental well-being.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction (BPNS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Assessed using a 21-item scale aligned with autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Higher scores reflect stronger satisfaction of psychological needs.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Habitual Physical Activity
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
A composite score derived from a weekly activity checklist and school day/weekend frequency items, aligned with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for adolescents. Higher scores indicate higher activity levels.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Physical Literacy (PPLI-SC)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Assessed using the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (Simplified Chinese version). It consists of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 9 to 45, with higher scores reflecting higher perceived physical literacy.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Parental Support for Physical Activity
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Assessed using items from the Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG), measuring modeling, co-participation, transport, and monitoring. Separate scores for fathers and mothers. Higher scores indicate greater support.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months
Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m^2). Height and weight were measured by staff using calibrated equipment.
Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Jinan University Guangzhou

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)

August 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 1, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • SBRE-25-0397

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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