Clinical trial NCT03765047: A Rigorous Evaluation of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Education Outcomes
Official title: A Rigorous Evaluation of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Education Outcomes in Georgia's Elementary Schools (RWJF)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Activity
Keywords: Standardized Test Score
Academic Achievement
Lead sponsor: Emory University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
First posted: 2018-12-05
Enrollment: 4968
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The study is a prospective study to examine the impact of a school-based physical activity intervention on fourth and fifth grade elementary students' academic achievement, as measured by standardized test scores.

Detailed description: Serving more than 95% of US children ages 5-17, the school environment is a valuable setting to engage students in Physical Activity (PA) through the day, but is limited when physical education programs have insufficient curricular, time, financial and staffing allocations. A growing body of research supports the premise that interventions focused on increasing physical activity in schools may be more successful if supported by evidence that increased PA improves academic achievement, that is the clear priority for limited school time and resources.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a school-based physical activity intervention on fourth and fifth grade elementary students' academic achievement, as measured by standardized test scores. Baseline information about current physical activity practices will be collected. Schools will receive ongoing in-person and virtual training, and schools will be provided physical activity equipment, resources, and teaching aids. Student accelerometer data will allow for monitoring of physical activity levels. This study seeks to address gaps in the literature by studying the efficacy of a well-established intervention that has been shown to impact school physical activities practices, and shows promise of efficacy for improving student education outcomes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 4th grade students from the elementary schools in the Gwinnett County district

Exclusion Criteria:

* None

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in the Georgia Milestones standardized test scores in math
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Change in the Georgia Milestones standardized test scores in reading
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in the Lexile/reading level for language arts
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Change in the class grades for reading
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Change in the class grades for math
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Number of Disciplinary Referrals
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Number of days of absence
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Number of days a student was tardy to the school
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lawrenceville
country: United States
facility: Gwinnett County Elementary Schools
state: Georgia
Study officials:
affiliation: Emory University
name: Julie Gazmararian, PhD/MPH
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Behringer HK, Saksvig ER, Boedeker PJ, Elish PN, Kay CM, Calvert HG, Meyer AM, Gazmararian JA. Physical activity and academic achievement: an analysis of potential student- and school-level moderators. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022 Aug 30;19(1):110. doi: 10.1186/s12966-022-01348-3.
citation: Elish PN, Bryan CS, Boedeker PJ, Calvert HG, Kay CM, Meyer AM, Gazmararian JA. The longitudinal association between objectively-measured school-day physical activity and academic achievement in US elementary school students. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022 Jul 23;19(1):90. doi: 10.1186/s12966-022-01328-7.