Efficacy of the Athletes for Life Program to Promote Cardiovascular Health

NCT03761589 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 14SDG20490382
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 149
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a fitness- and behavioral-focused intervention, Athletes for Life (AFL), to improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among 160 underserved families.

Conditions

Cardiovascular Fitness; Physical Activity

Keywords

Cardiovascular fitness; Physical Activity; Obesity; Children; Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in cardiovascular fitness (total seconds)

  Child and adult cardiovascular fitness was assessed using a 1-mile run/walk test

  0, 12, and 24 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (19)

• Change in insulin concentration (uIU/mL)

  0 and 12 weeks

• Change in glucose concentration (mg/dL)

  0 and 12 weeks

• Change in triglyceride concentrations (mg/dL)

  0 and 12 weeks

• Change in total low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (mg/dL)

  0 and 12 weeks

• Change in total high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (mg/dL)

  0 and 12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

AFL Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The AFL intervention consisted of twice a week physical activity and nutrition sessions for children and twice a week educational and physical activity sessions for parents. Each session lasted 90 minutes and all sessions were conducted in a municipal recreation center. The child program was delivered in English while the parent program was delivered in separate English-only or Spanish-only classes.

Behavioral: AFL Intervention

Wait-List Control Group

OTHER

The wait-list control group received the 12-week AFL intervention after all follow-up data had been completed.

Behavioral: Wait-List Control

Interventions

AFL Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The AFL intervention consisted of two 90-minute sessions per week for 12 months for both children and parents. The child physical activity sessions, held separately from the parent sessions, aimed to achieve 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during each session through structured play activities, athletic drills, and sport exercises. Child dietary behaviors were taught through educational activities in small groups. For the parent program, behavior modification techniques were used to guide parents toward changing their own and their child's behavior. Take-home materials for self-monitoring of behaviors were used for both the child and the parent in order to reinforce concepts discussed in class.

AFL Intervention Group

Wait-List Control BEHAVIORAL

Families that were randomly assigned to the wait-list control group were asked not to change their normal physical activity or dietary behaviors for the duration of the 12-week waiting period. They were asked to participate in the baseline and 12-week evaluations and then they were enrolled to receive the 12-week intervention.

Wait-List Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 11 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Parent ages 18 years and over
• Child ages 6-11 years

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of a mental or physical condition that was contraindicated to participating in sports/exercise
• Having a chronic condition that limited mobility
• Taking medications that influenced body composition

Sponsors & Collaborators

• San Diego State University: lead
• Arizona State University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Institute for Behavioral and Community Health

San Diego, California, 92123, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Szeszulski J, Vega-Lopez S, Todd M, Ray F, Behar A, Campbell M, Chavez A, Eckert R, Lorenzo-Quintero A, Hartmann Manrique L, Crespo NC. Athletes for life: Rationale and methodology of a community- and family-based randomized controlled trial to promote cardiovascular fitness among primarily Latino families. Contemp Clin Trials. 2020 Apr;91:105956. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2020.105956. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

  PMID: 32061969 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Obesity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Noe C Crespo, PhD

  San Diego State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Families (i.e., children and parents/primary caregivers dyads) were randomly assigned to participate in either the intervention group or a wait-list control group. The intervention (AFL) consisted of 24 structured, twice-weekly 90-min family-based, nutrition and sport/fitness-oriented sessions, and was delivered in a municipal recreation center. The wait-list control group received the intervention after all follow-up data had been collected. Data from all participants (both intervention group and wait-list group) were collected in four phases: before the intervention group started the program (week 0) and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks, thereafter.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 28, 2018
• First Posted: December 3, 2018
• Study Start: July 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2018
• Study Completion: June 30, 2018
• Last Updated: April 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2018-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)