Active Smarter Kids: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial

NCT ID: NCT02132494

Last Updated: 2019-10-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 1202 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-03-31
• Study Completion Date: 2015-06-30

Brief Summary

The relationship between physical activity and academic performance has received widespread attention owing to the pressure on schools to graduate pupils who meet accepted academic standards. As important, there are global concerns regarding the increased prevalence of lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). First, Norway has a history of mediocre scores on international comparative academic performance tests such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) [1]. It is therefore important to develop and evaluate strategic programs that may enhance pupil's academic performance. It is increasingly evident that a physical activity strategy that brings about enhanced cognitive function, better blood flow, and more, plays a key role in this effort [2]. Second, the prevalence of NCDs, such as diabetes mellitus type 2, is increasing worldwide, and such NCDs affect people of all ages [3]. Hence, healthcare costs are escalating to unaffordable levels. The best means to deal with this immense problem is through primary prevention, and physical activity is a powerful common denominator known to play a key role in preventing a host of NCDs [4].

Consequently, both World Health Organization (WHO) and the Norwegian health authorities call for effective primary prevention strategies to promote physical activity in children and adolescents [5, 6]. Prop. 90 L (2010-2011) Act on public health work [6] emphasizes that physical activity in school can benefit both the learning process and public health prevention.

Therefore, the objective of the ASK-study is to investigate the effects on academic performance of 60 minutes of daily physical activity during one school year. Furthermore, due to the complexity in the relationship between physical activity and academic performance, it is necessary to identify possible mediating and moderating variables as cognitive performance, quality of life (QoL), classroom behavior, motor skills and motivation. Also, we aim to investigate changes in risk factors related to NCDs and factors that influence NSDs, such as physical activity, sedentary behavior and health-related fitness.

In addition a qualitative part of the ASK-Study will be conducted to get an in-depth understanding of the children's embodied experiences and the meaning of the social learning culture in school physical activity (PA). This will give us an in-depth description of the intervention context, offer insight in how the intervention possibly influences children's overall development and enables us to estimate potential long term effects of the intervention.

If successful, the ASK cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) could provide much needed solutions to enhancing schoolchildren's academic performance and position the school as an effective setting for a massive public health intervention concerning the prevention of NCDs.

Conditions

Academic Performance; Primary Prevention; Physical Activity

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Physical activity

60 minutes of daily physical activity during one school year

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Physical activity

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Physical activity

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• all children attending 5th grade at the invited schools in Sogn og Fjordane county (Norway) during the school-year 2014/2015

Exclusion Criteria

• those children whom for language barriers are unable to perform national tests in Numeracy, Norwegian and English

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The Research Council of Norway

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Eivind Aadland

Associate professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Sigmund A Anderssen, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sogn og Fjordande University College

Locations

Sogn og Fjordane University College

Sogndal, Sogn Og Fjordane, Norway

Countries

Norway

References

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: BACKGROUND

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Reference Type: DERIVED

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Reference Type: DERIVED

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Aadland E, Andersen LB, Anderssen SA, Resaland GK. A comparison of 10 accelerometer non-wear time criteria and logbooks in children. BMC Public Health. 2018 Mar 6;18(1):323. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5212-4.

Reference Type: DERIVED

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Resaland GK, Moe VF, Bartholomew JB, Andersen LB, McKay HA, Anderssen SA, Aadland E. Gender-specific effects of physical activity on children's academic performance: The Active Smarter Kids cluster randomized controlled trial. Prev Med. 2018 Jan;106:171-176. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.10.034. Epub 2017 Dec 1.

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Aadland KN, Ommundsen Y, Aadland E, Bronnick KS, Lervag A, Resaland GK, Moe VF. Executive Functions Do Not Mediate Prospective Relations between Indices of Physical Activity and Academic Performance: The Active Smarter Kids (ASK) Study. Front Psychol. 2017 Jun 29;8:1088. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01088. eCollection 2017.

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Skrede T, Stavnsbo M, Aadland E, Aadland KN, Anderssen SA, Resaland GK, Ekelund U. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but not sedentary time, predicts changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in 10-y-old children: the Active Smarter Kids Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;105(6):1391-1398. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.150540. Epub 2017 Apr 5.

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Other Identifiers

2013/1893

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

HISF_2014

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id