Combating Physical Inactivity Pandemic in Kindergartens

The University of Hong Kong3,300 enrolled

Overview

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a kindergarten-based, parent-involved intervention during the upper kindergarten year (K3) on physical activity and physical fitness in preschool children.

This study is a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. Kindergartens will be randomly allocated to two groups: the usual care group and the intervention group. The usual care group will continue with their usual curriculum, which includes 30 minutes of daily physical activity stipulated by the Hong Kong SAR Government's Education Bureau. The intervention group will receive an additional 2.5 hours of physical activity per week in addition to the stipulated 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Outcome measures will be examined at baseline, 10 months (post-intervention), and 16 months (follow-up).

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

3,300

Conditions

Physical Activity Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Interventions

Usual Care ControlOTHER

30 minutes of physical activity on each school day.

Physical Activity Enhanced CurriculumBEHAVIORAL

Additional 2.5 hours of physical activity per week in addition to the stipulated 30 minutes of daily physical activity.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 5 YearsMax age: 6 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria 1. Children aged 5-6 years (limited number of children may be between 4-5 and 6-7 years) 2. Able to communicate in Chinese 3. Able to participate in physical activity in a standard kindergarten setting Exclusion Criteria: 1. Inherent or serious disease limiting participation in physical activity (e.g., congenital heart disease, pediatric cancer, Down syndrome). 2. Diagnosed mental illness impairing daily behavior and performance (e.g., anxiety disorder, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychotic disorders, autism spectrum disorder). 3. Physical disability (e.g., physical handicap, assistive device to walk). 4. Visual or hearing impairment. 5. Cognitive deficit or intellectual disability that requires special care and educational needs (e.g., handicapped children with learning difficulties).

Locations (1)

LKS Faculty of Medicine

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Physical Activity

Physical activity will be assessed using an actigraph device with a three-axis accelerometer.

Time frame: Baseline and 10 months

Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-meter shuttle run test.

Time frame: Baseline and 10 months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Physical Activity

Physical activity will be assessed using an actigraph device with a three-axis accelerometer.

Time frame: Baseline and 16 months

Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-meter shuttle run test.

Time frame: Baseline and 16 months

Change in Muscular Strength

Muscular strength will be assessed using a handgrip dynamometer.

Time frame: Baseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Change in Flexibility

Flexibility will be assessed using the sit-and-reach test.

Time frame: Baseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Change in Agility

Agility will be assessed using a 4 x 10-meter shuttle run test.

Time frame: Baseline, 10 months, and 16 months

Change in Balance Ability

Balance ability will be assessed by the number of successful steps performed on a balance beam.

Central Contacts

Parco M Siu, PhD

CONTACT

2831 pmsiu@hku.hk

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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