High-Intensity Exercise Snacks for Reducing Mobile Phone Addiction in Adolescents

NCT07338058 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: SBRE-25-0472
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 386
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of "Exercise Snacks" (fragmented, high-intensity bouts of exercise) in reducing mobile phone addiction among adolescents. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention spans 5 months and is followed by a 1-month follow-up period (Month 6). The intervention group will perform short bursts of exercise (e.g., 1-minute sprints, squats) multiple times daily during school breaks. The program is divided into three progressive phases: adaptation, enhancement, and consolidation. The study aims to determine whether this sustained "snack-style" exercise regimen can significantly lower mobile phone addiction scores, improve physical fitness, and enhance psychological traits such as self-control and resilience over a semester-long period.

Conditions

Smartphone Addiction; Sedentary Behaviors; Adolescent Behavior

Keywords

Exercise Snacks; High-Intensity Interval Training; Fragmented Exercise; Self-Control; Digital Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Mobile Phone Addiction Severity (assessed by SAS-SV)

  The severity of mobile phone addiction is measured using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). This self-report scale consists of 10 items. Each item is rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("Strongly Disagree") to 6 ("Strongly Agree"). The total score is calculated by summing the scores of all 10 items, resulting in a range from 10 to 60. Higher scores indicate a higher level of mobile phone addiction risk.

  Baseline, Month 3, Month 4, and Month 6

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Psychological Resilience(CD-RISC-10 Score)

  Baseline, Month 2, Month 4, and Month 6

• Self-Control Capacity (BSCS Score)

  Baseline, Month 2, Month 4, and Month 6.

• Objectively Measured Sleep Parameters via Wrist-Worn Accelerometer

  Baseline, Month 3, Month 5, and Month 6

• Objectively Measured Daily Physical Activity via Wrist-Worn Accelerometer

  Baseline, Month 2,Month 4, and Month 6

• Psychological Distress (DASS-21 Score)

  Baseline, Month 2, Month 4, and Month 6

Study Arms (2)

Exercise Snacks Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group follow a 5-month structured "Exercise Snacks" protocol. The intervention consists of daily short bursts of high-intensity exercise (e.g., 1-minute sprints, squats) performed during school breaks, supplemented by weekly collective HIIT sessions. The program progresses through adaptation, enhancement, and consolidation phases.

Behavioral: Exercise Snacks Protocol

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group are instructed to maintain their usual daily campus life and academic routines without altering their existing physical activity habits. They do not participate in the structured exercise snacks program during the study period.

Interventions

Exercise Snacks Protocol BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consists of a structured 5-month "Exercise Snacks" program. Participants perform "snacks"-defined as isolated bouts of vigorous-intensity physical activity (\<2 min)-distributed 3-4 times throughout the school day during breaks. Content: The regimen includes "Sprint Snacks" (e.g., stair climbing, high knees) and "Strength Snacks" (e.g., squats, push-ups). Intensity: Participants are instructed to reach a subjective effort level of Borg RPE \> 14 (Somewhat Hard to Hard). Progression: The program follows a phased approach: Adaptation (Month 1): Focus on habit formation and movement quality. Enhancement (Months 2-3): Increased frequency and inclusion of weekly collective HIIT sessions. Consolidation (Months 4-5): Integration of cognitive-behavioral guidance to replace mobile phone usage habits.

Also known as: Fragmented High-Intensity Exercise

Exercise Snacks Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Adolescents aged 12-18 years enrolled in the participating middle/high school.
• Owner of a smartphone with daily usage time \> 2 hours.
• Score on the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) indicating a risk of addiction (e.g., score \> 31 for males, \> 33 for females).
• Physically capable of participating in high-intensity exercise (PAR-Q screening negative).
• Provided written informed consent (from both student and guardian).

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed with severe physical disabilities or cardiovascular diseases that contraindicate high-intensity exercise (e.g., congenital heart disease).
• Currently participating in other professional sports training or weight loss programs.
• Diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., severe depression, schizophrenia) requiring medication.
• Taking medications that affect heart rate or cognitive function.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Jinan University Guangzhou: lead

Study Sites (1)

School of Physical Education, Jinan University

Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder; Sedentary Behavior; Adolescent Behavior; Self-Control

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Technology Addiction; Behavior, Addictive; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Rui Si Ma

  Jinan University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of the behavioral intervention (exercise training), it is not possible to blind the participants or the instructors to the group allocation. However, outcome assessors and data analysts are blinded to the group assignment to minimize detection and reporting bias. All data will be coded, and the statistical analysis will be conducted without knowledge of group identity.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer, School of Physical Education, Jinan University

Model Details: This is a randomized controlled trial with a parallel group design. Eligible participants are randomly assigned to either the Exercise Snacks intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 allocation ratio. Randomization is performed using computer-generated random number sequences to ensure equal probability of assignment.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2026
• First Posted: January 13, 2026
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2026
• Study Completion: March 1, 2026
• Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Beginning 3 months following article publication and ending 5 years following article publication.
• Access Criteria: Data will be available to researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for meta-analysis or verification purposes. Proposals should be directed to the Principal Investigator at penny@link.cuhk.edu.hk. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.

Locations

HK (1)