Optimizing the Impact of the Healthy School Recognized Campus Program on Youth's CVD Risk Factors

NCT05977959 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AHA HSRC
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 159
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Healthy School Recognized Campus is a Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension initiative that supports the delivery of school-based physical activity and nutrition programs for diverse youth across Texas. The purpose of this study is to improve the delivery of these programs and optimize the effect they have on youth's cardiovascular risk factors.

Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases; Physical Activity; Nutrition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS)

  MetS is present after identifying abdominal obesity plus at least two of the four other MetS Risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels. MetS = (abdominal obesity) + (2 of 4 other MetS Risk factors) Measures to determine MetS risk factors: 1. Abdominal obesity: waist circumference \>90th percentile for child's sex and age 2. High blood pressure: systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg) 3. High blood glucose: blood glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L or known diabetes 4. Low HDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol \<1.03 mmol/L 5. High triglyceride level: Triglyceride level ≥ 1.7mmol/L

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Change in the number of MetS risk factors

  Change in the number of MetS risk factors = (new # of MetS risk factors) - (original # of MetS risk factors) Measures to determine MetS risk factors: 1. Abdominal obesity: waist circumference \>90th percentile for child's sex and age 2. High blood pressure: systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg) 3. High blood glucose: blood glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L or known diabetes 4. Low HDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol \<1.03 mmol/L 5. High triglyceride level: Triglyceride level ≥ 1.7mmol/L

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Number of programs schools delivered (in addition to Walk Across Texas)

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Number of sessions delivered for each program

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Length of the sessions delivered

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Individual-level attendance data for programs delivered

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Body mass index (BMI)

  Weight will be measured with a scale (in pounds), and height will be measured using a stadiometer (in inches). Weight and height will be combined to report BMI as follows, BMI = (weight (lb)/height (inches)2) x 703.

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Concentration of subdermal carotenoids

  The concentration of subdermal carotenoids will assess the changes in fruit and vegetable consumption using the Veggie Meter: A non-invasive, portable machine that measures subdermal carotenoid levels using resonance Raman spectroscopy.

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Physical fitness capacity estimation

  Physical fitness will be measured using the FitnessGram PACER multistage aerobic capacity test: Children will run back and forth 20 meters, with an initial running speed of 8.5 km/hour and a progressive 0.5-km/hour increase in running speed every minute. As the test continues it becomes progressively harder. The number of laps completed is used to estimate children's physical fitness physical fitness.

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Blood pressure level

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Concentration of blood glucose

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Waist circumference

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Concentration of HDL cholesterol

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

• Concentration of serum triglycerides

  Baseline, 9 months (immediate post intervention)

Study Arms (8)

Mentoring Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Mentoring Program strategy in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Mentoring Program

Enhanced Resources

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Enhanced Resources strategy in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Enhanced Resources

Enhanced Engagement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Enhanced Engagement strategy in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Enhanced Engagement

No Intervention

NO INTERVENTION

All schools will participate in the HSRC initiative. The requirements for the initiative are to complete a school-wide walking program, 1 youth, and 1 adult program from a list of available programs that make up the initiative.

Mentoring + Enhanced Resources

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Mentoring Program and Enhanced Resources strategies in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Mentoring Program; Behavioral: Enhanced Resources

Mentoring + Enhanced Engagement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Mentoring Program and Enhanced Engagement strategies in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Mentoring Program; Behavioral: Enhanced Engagement

Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Enhanced Resources and Enhanced Engagement strategies in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Enhanced Resources; Behavioral: Enhanced Engagement

Mentoring + Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the Mentoring Program, Enhanced Resources, and Enhanced Engagement strategies in addition to Healthy School Recognized Campus.

Behavioral: Mentoring Program; Behavioral: Enhanced Resources; Behavioral: Enhanced Engagement

Interventions

Mentoring Program BEHAVIORAL

Schools in this group will participate in meetings and discussion boards and receive newsletters to help with program implementation.

Mentoring + Enhanced Engagement; Mentoring + Enhanced Resources; Mentoring + Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement; Mentoring Program

Enhanced Resources BEHAVIORAL

Schools in this group will receive extra resources such as program incentives to aid in program implementation.

Enhanced Resources; Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement; Mentoring + Enhanced Resources; Mentoring + Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement

Enhanced Engagement BEHAVIORAL

Schools in this group will participate in program contests to aid program implementation.

Enhanced Engagement; Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement; Mentoring + Enhanced Engagement; Mentoring + Enhanced Resources + Enhanced Engagement

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 14 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• located in North and East Texas
• Public elementary school
• at least 10 years old by September 1, 2023 (2024 for the 2024-2025 school year)
• enrolled in the 5th or 6th grade
• able to read, speak, and write in English

You may not qualify if:

• any motor or cognitive impairments or other health conditions that would prevent them from completing a physical assessment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Texas A&M University: lead
• American Heart Association: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas Center

Dallas, Texas, 75252, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Szeszulski J, Schaefers A, De Mello GT, Gardner J, George A, MacMillan Uribe A, Rethorst CD, Seguin-Fowler RA, Xin L. Design and methodology of a cluster randomized factorial trial to optimize implementation strategies for the Healthy School Recognized Campus initiative. Front Public Health. 2025 Oct 30;13:1652485. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1652485. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 41246086 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Jacob Szeszulski, PhD

  Texas A&M AgriLife

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 24, 2023
• First Posted: August 7, 2023
• Study Start: September 13, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2025
• Study Completion: June 30, 2025
• Last Updated: September 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Locations

US (1)