This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of a 4-week Brain Breaks® exercise video intervention on physical activity and Transtheoretical Model-related psychosocial factors among overweight and obese children and adolescents in China. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participated in short, video-based physical activity sessions during school breaks, while the control group did not receive the Brain Breaks intervention. Outcomes included physical activity participation, stage of exercise behavior change, exercise self-efficacy, perceived benefits of exercise, and perceived barriers to exercise.
This study was conducted to examine whether a school-based Brain Breaks® exercise video intervention could improve physical activity and psychosocial determinants of exercise behavior among overweight and obese children and adolescents in China. The intervention was informed by the Transtheoretical Model, which conceptualizes exercise behavior as progressing through different stages of behavioral change. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group received a 4-week Brain Breaks® exercise video program during school breaks. The program consisted of approximately 10 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity video-guided physical activity per day. Participants followed short exercise video segments designed to encourage movement and participation in physical activity. Participants in the control group did not receive the Brain Breaks intervention during the study period. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention. The study evaluated physical activity participation and several Transtheoretical Model-related psychosocial constructs, including stage of exercise behavior change, exercise self-efficacy, perceived benefits of exercise, and perceived barriers to exercise. The study was designed to determine whether changes in these outcomes differed between the intervention and control groups following the 4-week intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Participants assigned to the intervention group received a 4-week video-guided physical activity program using Brain Breaks exercise videos. The intervention consisted of approximately 10 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity physical activity during school breaks each day. Participants followed short exercise video segments designed to increase physical activity participation and support exercise behavior change. The intervention was delivered in the school setting during the study period.
Guangxin District No. 7 Primary School
Shangrao, Jiangxi, China
Change in Total Physical Activity Measured by the Chinese Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire
Physical activity was assessed using the 7-item Chinese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-C), which assesses physical activity intensity and sitting time during the previous 7 days. Total physical activity was expressed as metabolic equivalent task minutes per week (MET-min/week). Higher values indicate a greater amount of physical activity. Change from baseline to Week 4 was evaluated between the intervention and control groups.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Stage of Exercise Behavior Change
Stage of exercise behavior change was assessed according to the Transtheoretical Model. Participants were classified into one of five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, or maintenance. Changes in stage of exercise behavior from baseline to the end of the 4-week intervention were evaluated between groups.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Exercise Self-Efficacy Measured by the Chinese Version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale
xercise self-efficacy was assessed using the 18-item Chinese version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (completely confident). The mean score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater exercise self-efficacy. Change from baseline to Week 4 was evaluated between the intervention and control groups.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Perceived Benefits of Exercise Measured by the Chinese Version of the Decisional Balance Scale
Perceived benefits of exercise were assessed using the Benefits subscale of the 10-item Chinese version of the Decisional Balance Scale. The Benefits subscale consists of 5 items rated on a 5-point scale. The mean subscale score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater perceived benefits of exercise. Change from baseline to Week 4 was evaluated between the intervention and control groups.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Perceived Barriers to Exercise Measured by the Chinese Version of the Decisional Balance Scale
Perceived barriers to exercise were assessed using the Barriers subscale of the 10-item Chinese version of the Decisional Balance Scale. The Barriers subscale consists of 5 items rated on a 5-point scale. The mean subscale score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater perceived barriers to exercise and therefore a less favorable outcome. Change from baseline to Week 4 was evaluated between the intervention and control groups.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
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