Adolescents' Health Through Mobile Apps, Wearables, and a Gamified TAC ( ActivA-App )

NCT ID: NCT06140225

Last Updated: 2023-11-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 480 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2024-07-01

Brief Summary

A primary factor in preventing diseases in adulthood, as well as overweight and obesity, is the promotion of physical activity from childhood and adolescence. Although the recommendations for practicing physical activity at this stage are broad, low rates of practice that do not comply with the recommendations are reported. There is a high percentage of use of new technologies, particularly mobile applications, they have been used with some success to improve the health of similar populations, although its use for this purpose has certain limitations. Therefore, this project will investigate whether the use of various mobile and wearable applications can be an effective way to periodically increase physical activity levels and establish new healthy habits that improve the present and future health of adolescents. Several secondary education centers in the Region of Murcia will participate in this project. The objective is to obtain relevant results that can serve as a starting point for other interventions at a national or international level.

Detailed Description

The promotion of physical activity among young people has become a crucial factor in preventing adult-onset diseases, particularly overweight and obesity, and in improving health and well-being during this stage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day (or the equivalent in vigorous activity) and at least three days a week of strength-resistance exercises for children and adolescents. However, surveys on the physical activity habits of Spanish adolescents indicate that more than 50% do not meet these recommendations. Excessive use of new technologies has been identified as a predisposing factor for decreased physical activity, a habit that is increasingly common among adolescents. This, combined with the sedentary conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a significant increase in sedentary behavior among the young population. Nevertheless, new technologies, particularly mobile applications, have been used with some success to improve the health of similar populations, although their use for this purpose has certain limitations. Therefore, this project aims to address the decline in physical activity among the adolescent population and provide resources that will endure over time to promote physical activity among adolescents within the educational sphere. It's worth noting that during the period of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), there are only two hours of Physical Education (PE) per week, making it impossible to meet the recommended levels of practice solely through school-based physical activity. Thus, it is necessary to create resources that encourage physical activity in leisure time, involving both students and teachers, and that can also be utilized by future generations. This project builds upon prior research in promoting physical activity through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), but adapts it to a more sedentary social context, vastly different from before, requiring new strategies to increase physical activity in adolescents and thereby promote the preservation of physical and mental health following the inactivity imposed by the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, this project will investigate whether the use of various mobile applications and wearables can be an effective way to regularly increase physical activity levels and establish new healthy habits that improve both present and future health for adolescents. Additionally, it aims to provide teachers and students with an application that effectively encourages physical activity within the educational context, guided by professionals in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, yet remains engaging and motivating for continued use. This will allow for a combination of physical activity and education within the context of Technology-Enhanced Learning and Communication (TAC). This project will involve several secondary education centers in the Region of Murcia, as it is one of the autonomous communities with higher levels of inactivity, overweight, and obesity in early ages. The goal is to obtain relevant results that can serve as a starting point for other interventions at a national or international level.

Conditions

Adolescent Behavior; Physical Activity; New Technologies

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

"PACER" Application

It is an application that allows the recording of the sports activities performed. It includes alerts and reminders that allow the participant to plan his/her sports practice in advance, as well as a weekly record of the activities and kilometers run, and a comparative analysis with the previous week.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"PACER" Application

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is an application that allows the recording of the sports activities performed. It includes alerts and reminders that allow you to plan your sports practice in advance, as well as a weekly record of the activities and kilometers run, and a comparative analysis with the previous week.

"MapMyWalk" Application

It is an application that promotes the practice of physical activity by recording the sports activities that the subject performs, as well as the dissemination of the same in social networks and participation in challenges available to users around the world. In addition, this application includes reminders of physical activity and personal achievements to encourage the practice of sports.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"MapMyWalk" Application

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is an application that promotes the practice of physical activity by recording the sports activities that the subject performs, as well as the dissemination of the same in social networks and participation in challenges available to users around the world. In addition, this application includes reminders of physical activity and personal achievements to encourage the practice of sports.

"Strava" Application

It is an application that promotes sports practice, nutritional habits and the necessary rest. Nutrition and sleep will be introduced as variables that favor a healthy lifestyle

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"Strava" Application

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is an application that promotes sports practice, nutritional habits and the necessary rest. Nutrition and sleep will be introduced as variables that favor a healthy lifestyle.

"POKEMON GO" APPLICATION

It is a mobile game that favors the increase of physical activity because it is necessary to walk to achieve the proposed objectives.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"POKEMON GO" APPLICATION

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is a mobile game that favors the increase of physical activity because it is necessary to walk to achieve the proposed objectives.

"JEFIT" APPLICATION

It is an app whose goal is to be a support in training of strength-resistance training. Setting a specific goal, with a full databaseover of exercises to perform.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"JEFIT" APPLICATION

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is an app whose goal is to be a support in training of strength-resistance training. Setting a specific goal, with a full databaseover of exercises to perform.

"FITBIT-FLEX" APPLICATION

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"FITBIT-FLEX" APPLICATION

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

"MEIZU BONG 2S" APPLICATION

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

"MEIZU BONG 2S" APPLICATION

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

Control Group

They will not use any type of sports technology application. They will continue to perform their daily activities without intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

"PACER" Application

It is an application that allows the recording of the sports activities performed. It includes alerts and reminders that allow you to plan your sports practice in advance, as well as a weekly record of the activities and kilometers run, and a comparative analysis with the previous week.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"MapMyWalk" Application

It is an application that promotes the practice of physical activity by recording the sports activities that the subject performs, as well as the dissemination of the same in social networks and participation in challenges available to users around the world. In addition, this application includes reminders of physical activity and personal achievements to encourage the practice of sports.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"Strava" Application

It is an application that promotes sports practice, nutritional habits and the necessary rest. Nutrition and sleep will be introduced as variables that favor a healthy lifestyle.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"POKEMON GO" APPLICATION

It is a mobile game that favors the increase of physical activity because it is necessary to walk to achieve the proposed objectives.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"JEFIT" APPLICATION

It is an app whose goal is to be a support in training of strength-resistance training. Setting a specific goal, with a full databaseover of exercises to perform.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"FITBIT-FLEX" APPLICATION

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

"MEIZU BONG 2S" APPLICATION

It is a physical activity wereable. It acts as a witness to physical activity and transmits the data to the computer or smartphone.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Be a student of compulsory secondary education
• Not present any disease or surgical operation that would prevent the performance of the physical tests or the follow-up of the established intervention.
• Complete the questionnaires provided and carry out the established tests in their entirety
• Have access to any mobile device that allows access to the technological sports applications used in the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria

• Failure to complete the questionnaires provided and/or to take the prescribed tests in their entirety
• Failure to complete scheduled intervention activities.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal

Principal investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Raquel Vaquero-Cristobal, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universidad de Murcia

Central Contacts

Raquel Vaquero Cristobal, PhD

Role: CONTACT

raquel.vaquero@um.es

+34968278655

Other Identifiers

Project ActivA-App

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

PID2022-140245OA-I00

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id