The Y-PATH programme is an evidence-based intervention programme that has been found to be successful at increasing levels of physical activity in school children in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Heart Foundation collaborated with Dublin City University and University College Cork to disseminate the programme nationally. The intervention programme aims to improve physical activity levels of adolescents through education about the importance of physical activity for health and the development of fundamental movement skills, which are basic movements associated with physical activity, such as, catching, throwing, and running. The main aims of the Y-PATH NI study are: * To explore Y-PATH as an intervention 'template', to lead the development of a research-informed model suitable for feasibility testing in a Northern Ireland context (Y-PATH NI). * To undertake feasibility testing of the Y-PATH NI multi-component intervention aimed at increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in 11-14 year olds. * To conduct a process evaluation to determine primarily fidelity, but also acceptance and sustainability of the Y-PATH NI intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
400
The Y-PATH NI intervention provides a whole of school approach with student, teacher, parent and guardian components. Student components: Y-PATH resources delivered by physical education teachers (6 lesson plans, resource cards to use as teaching prompts), student handbook. Posters are also displayed in the sports hall/ PE department. Teacher components: Teachers will receive online and in-person training to deliver the Y-PATH programme. This component also targets all non-specialist PE teachers and includes workshops, information leaflets, development of a physical activity promotion charter and a step challenge. Parent/guardian components: Information session and leaflets distributed across the intervention period.
Ulster University
Londonderry, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGThe feasibility of recruiting schools/teachers to take part in the study
Ability to recruit schools/teachers to take part in the study. The research team will record the number of schools invited to take part and the number of schools who agree to participate in the study.
Time frame: During recruitment phase, 1-2 months
The feasibility of recruiting pupils to take part in the study
The research team will record the number of pupils who are invited to take part in each of the schools and the number of pupils who are recruited.
Time frame: During recruitment phase, 1-2 months
The feasibility of training the teachers
The number of teachers trained will be recorded and teachers complete an evaluation questionnaire to share their opinions on the training.
Time frame: After baseline assessments have been completed, up to 2 months
The feasibility of delivering Y-PATH NI in schools
Ability to deliver the intervention per protocol within schools. An intervention fidelity checklist will be completed as part of the process evaluation that will be carried out. The following questions will be included, Were all six Health related activity lesson plans delivered? Did teachers use the digital resources? Did teachers use the resource cards?
Time frame: Mid-point and end of study, up to 11 months in total
Acceptability of the Y-PATH NI Intervention to the pupils - self-report measure
Pupils who are allocated to the intervention group will complete a self-report evaluation questionnaire which will ask for their opinions on the study (i.e. whether they enjoyed the study and if they were satisfied with the various components of the study). The scales will range from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).
Time frame: Completed at the mid-point of the study (approximately 3-4 months after baseline)
Acceptability of the Y-PATH NI Intervention to the pupils - focus groups
A sub-sample of pupils will participate in focus groups. The focus group would include 5-8 pupils and will aim to gather views and opinions on the Y-PATH NI intervention. A topic guide has been created for this focus group
Time frame: Completed at the mid-point of the study (approximately 3-4 months after baseline)
Acceptability of the Y-PATH NI Intervention to the teachers
Teachers will be asked to participate in an interview at the mid-point of the study and at the end of the study to share their opinions on the Y-PATH NI intervention. A topic guide will be used to guide the interview.
Time frame: Completed at the mid-point of the study (approximately 3-4 months after baseline) and at the end of the study ( up to 11 months after baseline)
Acceptability of the Y-PATH NI Intervention to the teachers
Teachers will be asked to complete a questionnaire at the mid-point of the study which asks questions about the acceptability of the intervention. Higher scores will indicate greater acceptability.
Time frame: Completed at the mid-point of the study (approximately 3-4 months after baseline)
Acceptability of the Y-PATH NI Intervention to parents/guardians
Parents of pupils who participated in the Y-PATH NI intervention will be invited to take part in an interview at the end of the study to gather their views on the Y-PATH NI intervention.
Time frame: Completed at the end of the study, up to 11 months after baseline.
Time spent in total physical activity, light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour
Time spent in total physical activity, light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour, as measured by accelerometry
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement)
Body Mass Index
Weight (in kilograms) and height (in metres) will be measured at three time points throughout the study and body mass index will be calculated. Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2).
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Proportion of participants meeting physical activity guidelines
Proportion of participants meeting physical activity guidelines determined by self-report questionnaire and accelerometry.
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Enjoyment of physical education
Enjoyment of physical education will be measured using the Factors Influencing Enjoyment of Physical Education Enjoyment (FIPE) scale (Motl et al. 2001). This scale consists of 12 items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (dislike a lot) to 5 (enjoy a lot) (range 12 - 60).
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Experiences of physical education
Experiences of physical education will be assessed using a twelve item scale (e.g., I feel the activity I do in my PE class I do very well), with pupils indicating the extent to which they agree with the statement, from 'I don't agree at all' to I completely agree' (Woods et al. 2010). In line with previous research, a cut-off point of 36 will be used to distinguish between negative and positive experiences of PE (Clarke, 2019).
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Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Self-efficacy for exercise
Self-efficacy will be assessed using the eight-item scale (e.g., I could exercise even if I was tired), with pupils indicating the extent to which the statement is 'very true' to 'not at all true' on a scale of 1 to 4. An average of the eight items gives an overall self-efficacy score between 1 (low self-efficacy) and 4 (high self-efficacy) (Garcia et al. 1998). This instrument has been used in this population previously, including the FifeActive survey (Rowe and Murtagh, 2012).
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Physical self-confidence
The Physical Self-Confidence Scale will be used to assess the self-reported confidence in the adolescents ability to do 15 fundamental movement skills. Each of the skills will be rated on a scale from 1 -10, with 1 indicating no confidence and 10 indicating the participant is 'very confident' at performing each skill.
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Behavioural Regulations in Exercise
The Behavioural Regulations in Exercise questionnaire (BREQ-3) will be used to assess reasons why participants take part in exercise and motivation to take part in exercise. Participants will be asked to rate each item on a scale from 0 (not true for me) to 4 (very true for me). A mean score will be calculated for each of the subscales included in this questionnaire: amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation and intrinsic regulation.
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement
Screen time
Screen time will be assessed using a one item tool, with participants asked to report the total number of hours and minutes per day engaged in screen time over the past week (Moore et al, 2020).
Time frame: Measured at baseline, mid point (approximately 3- 4 months after baseline) and at the final follow up (up to 11 months after baseline measurement.