Active Middle School Communities for Physical Activity

(AMSC Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Deborah Salvo, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Deanna Hoelscher

Disqualifiers: Physical limitations, Survey completion, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

450 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to identify factors that help or hinder middle school children in staying active through walking, biking, or playing. The study will develop and test new strategies, created with input from local communities, to boost physical activity in middle schools. It involves two groups: one will try these new strategies, while the other will continue with their usual activities for comparison. Parents and 6th-grade children who live in the school's area and speak English or Spanish can participate, provided the child can be active and complete a survey.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative strategies that could enhance children's health and activity levels.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems focused on physical activity, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

What prior data suggests that this intervention is safe for middle school children?

Research has shown that physical activity programs like the Active Middle School Communities project are generally safe for children. Exercise boosts kids' health by improving fitness, mood, and overall well-being.

In studies of similar programs, children have handled the activities well, with few reports of negative effects. The aim is to increase activity in a way that fits into the community's daily routine, minimizing risk.

Since this project promotes physical activity in schools, the main safety concern involves ensuring activities are age-appropriate and supervised. Reports from similar programs indicate that when these precautions are taken, the activities remain safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the "Active Middle School Communities" approach because it directly involves community members and students in designing, implementing, and evaluating strategies to boost physical activity. Unlike typical programs that might take a one-size-fits-all approach, this method is tailor-made for each community, aiming to improve access to active transport and leisure activities in a way that resonates with local needs. This collaborative and context-specific method could lead to more sustainable and impactful changes in physical activity habits among middle schoolers, setting it apart from standard programs.

What evidence suggests that this trial's intervention strategies could be effective for improving physical activity in middle school communities?

Studies have shown that school-based physical activity programs effectively increase student movement. One study found that the time students spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) increased from 19.8% to 25.6% after introducing a school program. In this trial, one group of middle school communities will participate in a physical activity intervention co-produced by the community and investigators, aiming to make physical activity easier and more enjoyable during school hours. Research also shows that organized, noncompetitive activities encourage kids to be more active in their free time. Overall, schools play a crucial role in promoting physical activity and supporting children's health. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parent-child pairs where the child is in 6th grade at a participating school and lives with the parent within the school's community. Both must speak English or Spanish. It excludes children who have conditions limiting physical activity or can't complete surveys.

Inclusion Criteria

My child is in the 6th grade at a participating school.

Parent/guardian and child/adolescent dyads

Parent/guardian and child/adolescent must reside in the same household

Exclusion Criteria

My child cannot participate in physical activities due to their condition.

My child cannot fill out a written survey.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention Development

Co-creation of contextually-responsive intervention strategies with community members

6 months

Implementation

Implementation of co-created intervention strategies to improve access to active transport and leisure

12 months

Ongoing community engagement and monitoring

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for sustainability of physical activity outcomes

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Active Middle School Communities

Trial Overview The study aims to identify barriers to active transport and leisure activities, then co-create and test community-based interventions in middle schools to boost student physical activity, assessing effectiveness and sustainability.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Physical activity intervention co-produced by the community and investigators Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This intervention will engage multi-sectoral and multi-generational community members and middle school students for co-producing (co-design, co-implementation, and co-evaluation) contextually-responsive intervention strategies to improve access to active transport and leisure in three middle school communities.

Group II: Usual environmental and programmatic programs Active Control 1 Intervention

During the trial, three comparison school communities will not receive the intervention and will engage in usual environmental and programmatic programs. After the trial is completed, these schools will receive a modified version of the programs and strategies developed in the intervention arm (delayed intervention).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Deanna Hoelscher

Lead Sponsor

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

University of Texas at Austin

Collaborator

Trials

387

Recruited

86,100+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06970067

Study Details | NCT06970067 | Co-Creating Active Middle ... The purpose of this study is to identify community-level barriers and facilitators for active transport and leisure physical activity and to co- ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/active-middle-school-communities-for-physical-activity-49c14

Active Middle School Communities for Physical ... The purpose of this study is to identify community-level barriers and facilitators for active transport and leisure physical activity and to co-create and ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12536061/

The Effectiveness of School‐Based Physical Activity ... ABSTRACT. Increasing evidence highlights the importance of schools in promoting both physical activity (PA) and mental health.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221133552100067X

Impact of a school-level intervention on leisure-time ... Following our intervention, MVPA levels before school, during lunch recess, and after school increased significantly from 19.8% at baseline to 25.6% among ...

5. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/481399

Physical Activity in Middle School–aged Children ... These results show that an organized, noncompetitive, leisure-time program can increase physical activity in children.

6. crci.education.utexas.edu crci.education.utexas.edu/project/active-middle-school-communities/

Active Middle School Communities Community-engaged study working with middle school communities, where we will co-create and evaluate strategies to promote physical activity and reduce health ...

7. uth.edu uth.edu/news/story/physical-activity-intervention-strategies-in-low-income-communities-funded-by-a-5m-nih-grant-for-collaborative-research-at-uthealth-houston-and-the-university-of-texas-at-austin

Physical activity intervention strategies in low-income ... This new grant allows investigators to engage with the community and implement strategies to reduce physical inactivity among adolescents in ...

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8414413/

Development of a School-Based Physical Activity Intervention ... Physical activity (PA) is a health-protective factor with multiple benefits for school-age children, yet only 22% of children and adolescents living in the ...