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Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase Physical Activity Among Hispanic‐American Middle School Students
Author(s) -
Arlinghaus Katherine R.,
Ledoux Tracey A.,
Johnston Craig A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.13004
Subject(s) - physical activity , randomized controlled trial , obesity , medicine , intervention (counseling) , repeated measures design , physical therapy , demography , gerontology , statistics , mathematics , psychiatry , sociology
BACKGROUND Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) declines during adolescence, particularly among girls. In this randomized control trial, we examined MVPA in a physical activity intervention compared to physical education (PE) class as usual (TAU), stratified by sex and weight classification. Standardized BMI (zBMI) overtime was also examined. METHODS Hispanic‐American middle school students (N = 193) were recruited from a school district in Houston, Texas. Participants were randomized to either a circuit‐based physical activity intervention or TAU (PE class as usual). MVPA was assessed using accelerometry at baseline and 6 months. Repeated measures ANCOVA were conducted to examine changes in MVPA, overall and stratified by sex and weight classification. This procedure was repeated for zBMI. RESULTS Participants were 12.10 ± 0.63 years old and 53% were girls. Overall those in intervention increased weekday MVPA more than TAU (F(1,190) = 7.03, p < .01). Intervention girls increased weekday MVPA; whereas TAU girls decreased weekday MVPA (F(1,99) = 7.36, p < .01). Among those with obesity, there was no difference in MVPA between conditions (F(1, 56) = 0.33, p = .57), but Intervention decreased zBMI significantly more than TAU (F(1, 56) = 6.16, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Structured PE classes grounded in behavioral theory may be an important strategy to prevent typical decreases in MVPA during adolescence, particularly among girls and for youth with obesity.