Clinical trial NCT03163004: Implementation of Standing Desks at School
Official title: Implementing Standing Desks in Primary and Secondary Schools to Reduce Sedentary Time: Effect and Process Evaluation.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Health Behavior
Keywords: Sedentary behavior
Lead sponsor: University Ghent
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-05-22
Enrollment: 343
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 9
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: One intervention and one control condition
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Since sedentary time is related to various health outcomes and is already highly prevalent in childhood and adolescence, effective strategies are needed to tackle this health problem. Children and adolescents spend the majority of the day in a classroom while sitting at a desk. Therefore, the classroom is an important setting for implementing specific strategies to reduce sedentary time.

One of the strategies that gained more attention during the past years is replacing traditional desks and chairs with standing desks.

This project evaluates the implementation of standing desks in primary and secondary schools via a clustered randomized controlled trial using an intervention and control condition. Effects on sedentary time during in class, sedentary activities during leisure time, breaks in sedentary time, and related determinants (secondary outcomes) are evaluated.

Next to effect evaluation, it is also equally important to evaluate how teachers and pupils perceive this change in the classroom environment. Both groups need to be positive in order to obtain the adoption and sustainability. Therefore, focus groups with pupils and interviews with teachers are conducted, with a specific focus on the perceived barriers. Moreover, the process evaluation is conducted quantitatively as well by using questionnaires in pupils and teachers.

The project results will lead to recommendations on how to broadly implement standing desks into primary and secondary schools.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy pupils of primary schools (5th grade) and secondary schools (10th grade)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Decrease in children's sedentary time during school hours
timeFrame: One schoolyear
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Possible decrease in TV time on week- and weekend days
timeFrame: One schoolyear
measure: Possible decrease in computer time on week- and weekend days
timeFrame: One schoolyear
measure: Increase in the number of breaks in sedentary activities
timeFrame: One schoolyear
measure: Improvement of determinants related to breaking up sedentary activities
timeFrame: One schoolyear
measure: Improvement in school well-being
timeFrame: One schoolyear
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Ghent
country: Belgium
facility: Ghent University, Department of Movement and Sports Sciences
Study officials:
References:
citation: Neil-Sztramko SE, Caldwell H, Dobbins M. School-based physical activity programs for promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 23;9(9):CD007651. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007651.pub3.
citation: Verloigne M, Ridgers ND, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Cardon G. Effect and process evaluation of implementing standing desks in primary and secondary schools in Belgium: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018 Sep 27;15(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s12966-018-0726-9.