Clinical trial NCT06140225: Adolescents' Health Through Mobile Apps, Wearables, and a Gamified TAC ( ActivA-App )
Official title: Promotion of Daily Recommended Physical Activity for Adolescents' Health Through Mobile Apps, Wearables, and a Gamified TAC
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Adolescent Behavior
Physical Activity
New Technologies
Keywords: Adolescents
Physical activity
New Technologies
Psychology
Lead sponsor: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-11-18
Enrollment: 480
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 16
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Parallel Assignment
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: A primary factor in preventing diseases in adulthood, as well as overweight and obesity, is the promotion of physical activity from childhood and adolescence. Although the recommendations for practicing physical activity at this stage are broad, low rates of practice that do not comply with the recommendations are reported. There is a high percentage of use of new technologies, particularly mobile applications, they have been used with some success to improve the health of similar populations, although its use for this purpose has certain limitations. Therefore, this project will investigate whether the use of various mobile and wearable applications can be an effective way to periodically increase physical activity levels and establish new healthy habits that improve the present and future health of adolescents. Several secondary education centers in the Region of Murcia will participate in this project. The objective is to obtain relevant results that can serve as a starting point for other interventions at a national or international level.

Detailed description: The promotion of physical activity among young people has become a crucial factor in preventing adult-onset diseases, particularly overweight and obesity, and in improving health and well-being during this stage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day (or the equivalent in vigorous activity) and at least three days a week of strength-resistance exercises for children and adolescents. However, surveys on the physical activity habits of Spanish adolescents indicate that more than 50% do not meet these recommendations. Excessive use of new technologies has been identified as a predisposing factor for decreased physical activity, a habit that is increasingly common among adolescents. This, combined with the sedentary conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a significant increase in sedentary behavior among the young population. Nevertheless, new technologies, particularly mobile applications, have been used with some success to improve the health of similar populations, although their use for this purpose has certain limitations. Therefore, this project aims to address the decline in physical activity among the adolescent population and provide resources that will endure over time to promote physical activity among adolescents within the educational sphere. It's worth noting that during the period of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), there are only two hours of Physical Education (PE) per week, making it impossible to meet the recommended levels of practice solely through school-based physical activity. Thus, it is necessary to create resources that encourage physical activity in leisure time, involving both students and teachers, and that can also be utilized by future generations. This project builds upon prior research in promoting physical activity through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), but adapts it to a more sedentary social context, vastly different from before, requiring new strategies to increase physical activity in adolescents and thereby promote the preservation of physical and mental health following the inactivity imposed by the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, this project will investigate whether the use of various mobile applications and wearables can be an effective way to regularly increase physical activity levels and establish new healthy habits that improve both present and future health for adolescents. Additionally, it aims to provide teachers and students with an application that effectively encourages physical activity within the educational context, guided by professionals in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, yet remains engaging and motivating for continued use. This will allow for a combination of physical activity and education within the context of Technology-Enhanced Learning and Communication (TAC). This project will involve several secondary education centers in the Region of Murcia, as it is one of the autonomous communities with higher levels of inactivity, overweight, and obesity in early ages. The goal is to obtain relevant results that can serve as a starting point for other interventions at a national or international level.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Be a student of compulsory secondary education
* Not present any disease or surgical operation that would prevent the performance of the physical tests or the follow-up of the established intervention.
* Complete the questionnaires provided and carry out the established tests in their entirety
* Have access to any mobile device that allows access to the technological sports applications used in the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Failure to complete the questionnaires provided and/or to take the prescribed tests in their entirety
* Failure to complete scheduled intervention activities.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Physical Activity Level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical activity level (accelerometry)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Use of internet (CERI Questionnaire)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Use of mobile phone (CERM Questionnaire)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Satisfaction with life (Life Satisfaction Scale)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Maximal oxygen consumption)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Handgrip Strength)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Lower extremity muscle strength)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Hamstrings Flexibility)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (horizontal jump)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.]
measure: Anthropometric Variables (Height)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Anthropometric Variables (Weight)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.]
measure: Anthropometric Variables (Fat mass)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Anthropometric Variables (Fat-free mass)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Physical condition (upper limb strength)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Curl-up)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Physical condition (Maximum speed)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Anthropometric Variables (BMI)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Motivation in Physical Education Classes
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Fat percentage
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Hydration percentage
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Muscle mass
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Bone weight
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Visceral fat
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Healthy lifestyle habits (Survey on Healthy Habits in Adolescents)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
measure: Evaluation of ICTs (User version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale)
timeFrame: week 10
measure: Biological maturation
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24.
measure: Academic performance
timeFrame: Week 10, week 20 and week 24.]
measure: Mediterranean Diet Quality (KIDMED Questionnaire)
timeFrame: Pre-test, week 10, week 20 and week 24
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Universidad de Murcia
name: Raquel Vaquero-Cristobal, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: