The aims of this school-based cycling intervention called "ENERGY Commuting to school" (ENERGYCO) will be divided into two phases: Phase I will aim: 1) to design, test, and validate predictive equations for the objective quantification of the energy expenditure related to different modes of commuting to school (i.e., walking, cycling, motorized-vehicle); and 2) to quantify the energy expenditure of each mode of commuting to school using indirect calorimetry in adolescents; and Phase II will aim to evaluate the effect of a school-based cycling intervention on different health-related outcomes, such as energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate, basal metabolism, physical activity levels, body composition, muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, physical literacy, motor competence, and psychosocial outcomes on Spanish adolescents.
The ENERGYCO study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial focused on the energy expenditure associated with commuting to school. Phase I will aim to develop predictive equations for quantifying energy expenditure during different modes of commuting (walking, cycling, motorized-vehicle) and to measure energy expenditure using indirect calorimetry in adolescents. Phase II will assess the impact of a school-based cycling intervention on various health outcomes in Spanish adolescents, including energy expenditure, metabolic rate, physical activity levels, body composition, muscle strength, fitness, blood pressure, physical literacy, motor competence, and psychosocial outcomes. Phase I will involve recruiting approximately 50 adolescents to quantify energy expenditure during walking, cycling, and motorized-vehicle. For Phase II, a random sample of around 300 schoolchildren aged 12-16 from three Spanish cities will undergo a eight-week cycling intervention involving Bikeability sessions and encouragement strategies. Therefore, the ENERGYCO study aims to develop predictive equations for measuring energy expenditure during active commuting to school and assess the impact of a cycling intervention on adolescent health. It is expected to contribute significantly to research and society by providing insights into the effects of active commuting and cycling interventions on adolescent energy expenditure, physical and mental health.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
300
A eight-weeks school-based cycling program. The school-based cycling intervention consists of 2 Bikeability sessions of 60 min at Physical Education lessons in school, and will focus on promote biking through theory and practice lessons about cycle training skills including on-road training. In addition, participants will receive encouragement strategies, one for each week of the intervention, for cycling to and from school during eight weeks.
University of Granada
Granada, Spain
RECRUITINGChange of the resting metabolic rate
Assessment of the resting metabolic rate using indirect calorimetry (Ominical)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of the daily energy expenditure
Assessment of the energy expenditure using predictive equations developed during the Phase I of the stuy and validated against indirect calorimetry (Cosmed K5)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of Physical activity levels
Assessment of the physical activity levels using accelerometry and the "Youth Physical Activity Profile" questionnaire
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Heart rate monitoring
Assessment of the intensity of the commuting by bike to and from school using a pulsometer
Time frame: During the 8 weeks when the participant will cycle to and from school
Resting heart rate monitoring
Assessment of the resting heart rate using a pulsometer
Time frame: First weekend of the school-based cycling intervention
Cycling skill assessment: Bikeability sessions
Assessment of the cycling skills in a closed circuit
Time frame: First week of the school-based cycling intervention
Change of physical fitness
Assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness (Course Navette), muscular strength (analog dinamometer), and blood pressure (stethoscope )
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of physical literacy
Assesment of phsychological, social, cognitive, and motor competence using the Spanish perceived physical literacy instrument for adolescents (PPLI-Q) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of anthropometric measures
Assessment of height and weight, (e.g., weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of anthropometric measures
Assessment of waist and neck circumference in centimeters
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of body composition
Assessment of fat free mass, fat mass, lean mass index, fat mass index, body fat percentage, visceral adipose tissue, and bone mineral content using Dual energy X-ray absorptimetry (DEXA)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of cognitive determinants
Assessment of subjective norm, intention, perceived behavioral control and attitude using Questionnaire stages of change
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of perceptions to active commuting to and from school
Assessment of perceived barriers to active commute to school using the Barriers for active commuting to school questionnaire (BATACE)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change in children's psychosocial variables
Assessment of autonomy, competence, and relatedness using the Basic Pshychological Need Satisfaction Need in Active Commuting to and from School questionnaire (BPNS ACS)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change in children's psychosocial variables
Assessment of satisfaction and motivation to active commuting to and from school using the Behavioural Regulation in Active Commuting to and from School questionnaire
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change in children's psychosocial variables
Assessment of self-Esteem and mental health using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Children sociodemographic characteristics
Participants self-report their age, school grade and class, gender, full postal address, bicycle owners through a student questionnaire
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Parents sociodemographic characteristics
Parents self-report the school name, child name, age, gender, children´s gender, and full postal address, parental education level through a parents questionnaire
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Family socioeconomic status
Children and parents self-report their family income using the Family Affluence Scale questionnaire (FAS III)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Change of parental perceptions
Assessment of the parents´ barriers to allow their adolescent to active commuting to and from school using the Parental Perception of Barriers towards active commuting to school questionnaire (PABACS)
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Distance home-school-home
Assessment of the route characteristics using Google Maps and GPS
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
Weather
Assessment of the Temperature (maximum, minimum, mean), total rainfall, and mean wind speed using data from the National Weather Data Bank
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
School characteristics
Assessment of the school enrolment by electronic and manual search
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
School characteristics
Assessment of the school socioeconomic status using Geographical Information System
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
School characteristics
Assessment of the school engagement using data from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
City characteristics
Assessment of the population density and city income using data from the Tax Agency, Spanish Public Ministry of Finance and Public Administration of Spain
Time frame: 8 weeks during both measurement points (Baseline and post-intervention)
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