The purpose of this school-based trial is to test the efficacy of an intervention to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among middle school girls. The 17-week "Girls on the Move" (GOTM) intervention has 3 components. Two individual-level components occurring during school hours include: (1) two face-to-face motivational, individually tailored counseling sessions with a school nurse, and (2) an interactive Internet-based session during which each girl receives motivational, individually tailored feedback messages (at 9 weeks). A group-level component, 90-minute Physical Activity (PA) Club provides an important venue after school that includes activities to assist girls in establishing a behavioral pattern of MVPA. The control condition will complete data collection activities and receive their usual school offerings. The investigators hypothesize that immediately post-intervention, minutes of MVPA will be greater by 16 min./wk. in the intervention than control group; At 9 months post-intervention follow-up, minutes of MVPA will be greater in the intervention than control group; and immediately post-intervention, cardiovascular (CV) fitness will be higher and body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat will be lower in the intervention than control group.
Our 17-week "Girls on the Move" (GOTM) intervention for middle school girls applies the Health Promotion Model (HPM) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and has 3 components. Two individual-level components occurring during school hours include: (1) two face-to-face motivational, individually tailored counseling sessions with a school nurse (occurring at baseline and near 17 wks.), and (2) an interactive Internet-based session during which each girl receives motivational, individually tailored feedback messages (at 9 wks.). A group-level component, 90-min. PA Club, led by PA instructors (e.g., individuals from community; teachers, including physical education (PE); and sports team coaches) provides an important venue after school that includes MVPAs (requested by girls in pilot) to assist girls in establishing a behavioral pattern of MVPA. The control condition will complete data collection activities and receive their usual school offerings. The purpose of this school-based group randomized trial (GRT) is to evaluate the efficacy of the comprehensive GOTM intervention to increase middle school girls' min. of MVPA and improve cardiovascular (CV) fitness, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (% BF) immediately post-intervention (after 17 wks.) and MVPA at 9-mo. follow-up (F/U; 9 mos. after end of intervention). Secondary analyses will examine if MVPA is mediated by cognitive (e.g., perceived benefits of PA, barriers to PA, and PA self-efficacy; social support) and affective variables (e.g., enjoyment of and motivation for PA). Based on demographics of the urban schools, we expect a low-SES, mixed-race, predominately African American, sample. Eight schools will be randomly assigned to the PA intervention (n = 4) or comparison condition (n = 4) in the fall of yrs. 2, 3, and 4 (total N = 8 X 3 = 24 different schools). Sixty-two girls meeting inclusion criteria based on answers to a screening tool will be recruited in each school during each of the three yrs. The long-term goal is to increase MVPA as a means to address the high overweight and obesity prevalence among adolescent girls.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,543
Receiving individual counseling with the school nurse, tailored feedback from computer program, and after-school physical activity club.
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) Post-intervention
Minutes of MVPA were measured via ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers worn on an elastic belt at the right hip for 7 consecutive days, including 5 weekdays and 2 weekend days at post-intervention. Monitors were set to start collecting and storing data in raw format beginning 5:00 A.M. on the day after they were distributed to girls each school. Data were re-integrated to 15-second epochs and processed using established intensity cut-points. One week after distribution, data collectors returned to each school to collect the accelerometers. The majority (1386 \[post-intervention\] of 1519 girls \[baseline\], 91.24%) provided at least 8 hours of data on 3 weekdays and 1 weekend day. An imputation approach based on all available data in hour blocks on all 7 days was implemented. Wear time was standardized to 14 hours/weekday (one hour before each school's actual start time; 7 hours during school; 6 hours after school) and 10 hours/weekend day (later awake time from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
Time frame: Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per hour at post-intervention (after 17-week intervention)
Cardiovascular Fitness (Aerobic Performance)
Between group comparison measured by number of laps run in a progressive shuttle run test. CV fitness was assessed via estimation of maximal oxygen consumption.
Time frame: Cardiovascular fitness after 17-week intervention (post-intervention)
Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-score
To obtain BMI-z score, height and weight were assessed. Height was measured to nearest 0.1 cm using portable stadiometer. Weight was assessed to nearest 0.1 kg with foot-to-foot bioelectric impedance analysis scale. BMI was calculated and then converted into a percentile using age- and sex-specific reference values from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts to determine BMI-z score.
Time frame: Body mass index z-score at post-intervention (after 17-week intervention)
Percent Body Fat
Percent body fat estimated via a foot-to-foot body weight scale with bioelectrical impedance analysis capabilities.
Time frame: Percent body fat at post-intervention (immediately after 17-week intervention)
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