Play-Based Motor Programme and Child Development Outcomes in Pre-Adolescent Boys (PLAY-MOTOR-BOY)
Play-Based Motor Intervention Improves Motor Proficiency, Cognitive Processing, and Executive Functioning in Pre-Adolescent Boys: A Randomised Controlled Trial With Sub-Scale Profiling
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an 8-week play-based motor programme helps improve motor skills, thinking skills, and executive functioning in pre-adolescent boys (ages 10 to 12). The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does the programme improve motor skills (such as balance, catching, and hand dexterity)?
- Does the programme improve thinking skills and executive functioning (such as memory and self-control)?
Researchers will compare boys who take part in the programme to boys who do standard physical education to see if the programme works.
Participants will:
- Take part in a play-based motor programme 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Each session lasts 60 minutes.
- Be assigned to one of the two groups by chance (like flipping a coin).
- Complete motor and thinking tests at the start and end of the study. Parents will also fill out a questionnaire about their child's behavior.
Study Overview
Status
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
This is a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) following CONSORT 2010 reporting guidelines. The study evaluates whether an 8-week play-based motor programme can improve motor proficiency, cognitive processing, and executive functioning (EF) in pre-adolescent boys.
Participants and Randomization: A total of 80 boys aged 10-12 years (Grades 4-6) from two single-sex primary schools will be recruited. Students will be block-randomized (block size 4) to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Allocation will be generated using a computer-based sequence. The primary outcome is motor proficiency, with cognitive processing and EF as secondary outcomes.
Intervention: The intervention group will receive an 8-week play-based motor programme delivered by trained physical education teachers three times per week (60 min per session; 24 sessions in total). Each session includes a 10-min warm-up (dynamic stretching and locomotor games), a 40-min main activity phase (animal-imitation locomotion, ball-skill circuits, and cooperative balance challenges), and a 10-min cool-down. The control group will continue their regular physical education curriculum with no additional motor programming.
Outcome Measures: Motor proficiency will be assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2). Cognitive processing will be measured using the Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test. Executive functioning will be indexed using the parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). All instruments will be administered at pre-test (Week 0) and post-test (Week 9).
Statistical Analysis Plan: All analyses will be conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. A one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) will be used, with pre-test scores as covariates, to examine the simultaneous multivariate group effect. Follow-up separate one-way ANCOVAs, each controlling for the respective pre-test score, will be conducted for all outcome variables. Effect sizes will be reported as partial eta-squared (ηp²).
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
-
-
Shandong
-
Weifang, Shandong, China
- Physical Education Department, Weifang University
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- 1. Male sex. 2. Age 10-12 years. 3. Enrolled in a single-sex primary school. 4. Absence of neurological, orthopedic, or developmental disorder precluding participation.
5. Parental written consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- 1. Chronic illness requiring regular medication. 2. Prior involvement in a motor training programme within six months. 3. Incomplete baseline assessments.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Other
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Single
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: Play-Based Motor Programme
Participants receive an 8-week play-based motor programme (3 times per week, 60 min/session). Sessions include a 10-min warm-up, a 40-min main activity phase with motor-enriched games (animal-imitation locomotion, ball-skill circuits, cooperative balance challenges), and a 10-min cool-down. Progressive overload is achieved by increasing task complexity and reducing external support. |
An 8-week play-based motor programme delivered three times per week (24 sessions in total, 60 min per session). Focuses on motor-enriched games including animal-imitation locomotion, ball-skill circuits, and cooperative balance challenges. |
|
Active Comparator: Standard Physical Education
Participants continue their regular physical education curriculum with no additional motor programming. |
The standard physical education curriculum delivered in schools, without additional motor programming. |
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Motor Proficiency Score
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 9)
|
Motor proficiency is assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) Age Band 2. It yields three component scores (Manual Dexterity, Aiming & Catching, Balance) and a Total Standard Score. Higher scores indicate better motor proficiency. |
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 9)
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Cognitive Processing and Executive Function Scores
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 9)
|
Cognitive processing is measured with the Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test (Concept Formation, Symbolic Thinking, Socialization of Thought, Attention/Psychomotor Speed). Executive functioning is indexed by the parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), yielding eight subscales and three composite indices (BRI, MI, GEC). For the BRIEF, lower scores indicate better EF. |
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 9)
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Actual)
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Other Study ID Numbers
- IAU-PLAY-MOTOR-1404
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
IPD Plan Description
Anonymized participant data supporting the conclusions of this article will be deposited in an open repository (OSF/Zenodo) upon acceptance. Pre-acceptance data-sharing requests may be directed to the corresponding author.
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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.