Education and Fitness: EDUFIT Study

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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EDUFIT is a group-Randomized Controlled Trial specifically designed to enhance physical fitness and other health-related factors in a school setting in adolescents.

Detailed Description
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Physical fitness is a powerful marker of cardiovascular health already at early stages in life. To promote physical fitness enhancement from the school is therefore needed and this is the main aim of the EDUFIT study (EDUcation for FITness). The participants were randomly allocated to control group (CG), experimental group 1 (EG1) and experimental group 2 (EG2). The CG received 2 physical education sessions/week, the EG1 received 4 physical education sessions/week (volume increased) and the EG2 received 4 physical education sessions/week of high intensity (volume+intensity increased). Several health-related parameters were assessed before and after a 16-weeks intervention: physical fitness (primary outcome), body composition (secondary), and lipid-metabolic profile, ventilatory parameters, blood pressure, and cognitive and academic performance (tertiary outcomes). The hypothesis of the EDUFIT project was that to double the number of physical education classes will improve physical fitness in adolescents. The confirmation of the hypothesis could have important public health implications.

Official Title
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Effects of a Physical Education Program Focused on Improving Physical Fitness in Adolescents Aged 12-14 Years

Conditions
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Physical Fitness, Body Composition, Lipid Metabolism

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Physical activity program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adolescents enrolled in the Spanish Educational System, free of any muscle-skeletal problem not allowing take part in Physical Education lessons or fitness testing. Exclusion Criteria: Clinical diagnosis of diabetes Pregnancy Drugs/alcohol abuse In general, any chronic disease that does not permit the person to perform exercise and physical education lessons.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 12 Years
Maximum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Normal PE<br>2 Physical Education sessions / week | |
| Experimental: PE Volume<br>4 Physical Education sessions/week (increased volume) | Behavioral: Physical activity program<br>* School intervention program specifically designed to increase health-related physical fitness<br>|
| Experimental: PE Volume + Intensity<br>4 Physical Education sessions/week of high intensity (increased volume and intensity) | Behavioral: Physical activity program<br>* School intervention program specifically designed to increase health-related physical fitness<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Health-related physical fitness | Cardiorespiratory fitness; musculoskeletal fitness; motor fitness. | 4 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardiovascular disease risk factors | Body composition; lipid-metabolic profile; blood pressure; ventilatory parameters. | 4 months |