Effects of Physical Activity on Math - an RCT

NCT02488460 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: h5vadgyk
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 545
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Background Increased physical activity can improve cognition and academic skills. However due to economic concerns and increasing focus on standardized testing, PA in schools often receives little attention and physical education is reduced in many countries in favor of spending more time devoted to academic classes. This tendency is not compatible with the increasing evidence for the association between physical activity, fitness, cognitive and academic performance. Despite increasing evidence for the association between PA, fitness, cognitive and academic performance, very few longitudinal high-quality studies exists examining the effect of physical activity on academic performance (ref.). Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge only two studies have assessed academic outcomes following the integration of physical activity into the classroom with intervention participants scoring significantly higher in test sections compared to controls which makes generalizing from these results challenging. To promote policy changes that require more physical activity in school, empirical data are needed to study the effects of school-based physical activity programs. Therefore the investigators carried out a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted to examine the effect on math achievement and executive functions of classroom based PA in math.

Conditions

Academic Acheivement; Physical Activity

Keywords

Motor Activity; Cognition; Academic Acheivement; Preadolescent Children

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Math Skills, as measured by a 45-minute standardized math test specifically designed for this age group by the developer of the Danish national tests (MG) (Hoegrefe Forlag).

  During the first three weeks prior to randomization and intervention, and the last two weeks of the protocol after the intervention period.

  Change from Baseline Math Skills at 9 months

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Cardiovascular Fitness, as measured by intermittent shuttle-run test (the Andersen intermittent running test).

  Change from Baseline Cardiovascular Fitness at 9 months

• Body height as measured without shoes to the nearest 0.5 cm using Harpenden stadiometer (West Sussex, UK). Body mass as measured in light clothing to the nearest 0.1 kg using an electronic scale (Tanita BWB-800, Tokyo, Japan).

  Change from Baseline Body Composition at 9 months

• Activity Behavior as measured by questionnaires sent via SMS

  Short Message Service from the parents of the participant during the nine month long intervention period

• Objective Physical Activity level, as measured by using accelerometry (ActiGraph, GT3X and GT3X+)

  Change from Baseline Objective Physical Activity level at 9 months

• Physical Activity during Math Lessons, as measured by using accelerometry (ActiGraph, GT3X and GT3X+)

  Change from Baseline Objective Physical Activity level during math lessons at 9 months

Study Arms (2)

Normal math

NO INTERVENTION

This arm serves as the control group receiving regular math lessons

Active math

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm serves as the intervention group receiving physically active math lessons

Behavioral: Physically active math lessons

Interventions

Physically active math lessons BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consists of a nine month period with physical activity as part of, and integrated, in math lessons

Active math

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 8 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• st Grade primary school children on public schools

You may not qualify if:

• Physical disabilities
• No written informed consent from parents

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Southern Denmark: lead
• IMK Fonden: collaborator

Related Publications (2)

• Siersbaek GM, Have M, Wedderkopp N. The Effect of Leisure Time Sport on Executive Functions in Danish 1st Grade Children. Children (Basel). 2022 Sep 23;9(10):1458. doi: 10.3390/children9101458.

  PMID: 36291397 DERIVED

• Have M, Nielsen JH, Gejl AK, Thomsen Ernst M, Fredens K, Stockel JT, Wedderkopp N, Domazet SL, Gudex C, Grontved A, Kristensen PL. Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of classroom-based physical activity on math achievement. BMC Public Health. 2016 Apr 11;16:304. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2971-7.

  PMID: 27068574 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Mona H. Sørensen, PhD Fellow

  University of Southern Denmark

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD Fellow, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 8, 2015
• First Posted: July 2, 2015
• Study Start: August 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2013
• Study Completion: July 1, 2013
• Last Updated: July 2, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-06