Development and Testing of a Sports Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Rural Girls

NCT ID: NCT06229457

Last Updated: 2025-09-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-05-28
• Study Completion Date: 2028-11-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to examine the impact of a 12-week sports sampling and physical literacy program on rural girls' physical activity.

Detailed Description

Fewer than 30% of elementary-aged youth meet physical activity guidelines, with lower activity levels found among girls, racial minorities, and those living in rural areas. Sport is one of the best strategies for promoting physical activity, yet girls, Hispanics, and rural populations participate in youth sport at lower numbers and drop out at a higher rate. In line with Self-Determination Theory, commonly cited barriers include lack of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Physical literacy and sport sampling have also been identified as key determinants of youth sport participation. Developing interventions around physical literacy and sport sampling, with intervention delivery grounded in Self-Determination Theory principles, is a promising strategy for promoting youth sport. However, the few existing interventions aimed to promote girls' physical activity through sport were developed outside the United States, focused on adolescent (versus younger) girls, and/or conducted among urban or suburban youth, limiting generalizability. Rural, Hispanic girls face unique challenges around sport that should be identified and addressed, yet there remains a paucity of information on determinants of sport participation among this population.

This study aims to to develop, tailor, and examine the impact of a tailored Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) sport sampling and physical literacy program on rural girls' physical activity levels. BGC is an organization that provides learning and leadership programs to millions of rural youth nationwide, about half of whom are girls.

This study will enroll Hispanic girls ages 8-10 living in rural Imperial County, California. The first aims are to develop and refine a 12-week sport sampling and physical literacy intervention entitled "Girls Positive Learning Activities for Youth", or "Girls PLAY". The Girls PLAY intervention will be delivered as Boys & Girls Clubs programming, and intervention delivery will be grounded in Self-Determination Theory. We will then examine the feasibility of the 12-week Girls PLAY intervention. Secondary outcomes of physical activity levels, physical literacy, Self-Determination Theory constructs, and sports participation will also be assessed.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Girls PLAY program

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Girls PLAY program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Girls PLAY program (8-12 weeks) will include 1) a series of in-person sessions, led by Boys and Girls Clubs staff at the Boys and Girls Club sites, and 2) take-home activities. In-person sessions (60-75 min; 2-3x/week) will center around a different developmentally appropriate sport each week. Lesson plans will outline games/activities in which youth engage in fundamental, sport-specific movement skills. Lesson plans will be delivered by Boys and Girls Club leaders using acts of instruction derived from Self-Determination Theory. Take home activities will 1) summarize and add on to the week's in-person sessions and 2) be adapted for delivery by parents and/or self-guided participation by youth. Take-home activities will provide information for engaging in the past week's activities as well as additional activities that parents and youth can participate in together.

Interventions

Girls PLAY program

Girls PLAY program (8-12 weeks) will include 1) a series of in-person sessions, led by Boys and Girls Clubs staff at the Boys and Girls Club sites, and 2) take-home activities. In-person sessions (60-75 min; 2-3x/week) will center around a different developmentally appropriate sport each week. Lesson plans will outline games/activities in which youth engage in fundamental, sport-specific movement skills. Lesson plans will be delivered by Boys and Girls Club leaders using acts of instruction derived from Self-Determination Theory. Take home activities will 1) summarize and add on to the week's in-person sessions and 2) be adapted for delivery by parents and/or self-guided participation by youth. Take-home activities will provide information for engaging in the past week's activities as well as additional activities that parents and youth can participate in together.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• living in Imperial County, California
• identify as female
• aged 8-10 years old
• enrolled at a participating Boys & Girls Club site

Exclusion Criteria

• has a sibling enrolled in the study
• physical or mental impairment that would preclude physical activity or protocol compliance

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 10 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

San Diego State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

San Diego State University

San Diego, California, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

1K01HL171860-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HS-2023-0186

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id