Active Families, Healthy Minds: A Family-Centered School Physical Activity Program for Early Adolescents

NCT07380750 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: SBRE-25-0397
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 345
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a family-centered school physical activity program, titled "Active Families, Healthy Minds," designed to improve mental health among early adolescents (ages 10-14) in China. In response to high academic pressure and low physical activity levels, this program integrates structured physical education sessions at school with simple, interactive home-based activity routines involving parents. The study compares this family-supported intervention against a standard school-only physical activity program and a wait-list control group. The primary goal is to determine if involving parents in school-based physical activity initiatives leads to better mental well-being, increased habitual physical activity, and stronger family support compared to school-only approaches.

Conditions

Adolescent Mental Health; Physical Inactivity; Mental Well-being; Sedentary Behavior

Keywords

Physical Activity; Family-based Intervention; School-based Intervention; Self-Determination Theory; Early Adolescence; Mental Health Promotion; Prevention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mental Well-being (WEMWBS)

  Assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). The scale contains 14 positively worded items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 = 'none of the time' to 5 = 'all of the time'). Total scores range from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating better mental well-being.

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction (BPNS)

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

• Habitual Physical Activity

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

• Physical Literacy (PPLI-SC)

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

• Parental Support for Physical Activity

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

  Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months

Study Arms (3)

Family-Supported Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Students participate in structured school-based physical activity sessions twice a week. Additionally, families implement weekly home activity routines (one weekday, one weekend) supported by goal-setting sheets and WeChat prompts to foster parental engagement.

Behavioral: Family-Supported PA Program

Active Control (School-Only PA)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Students participate in the same structured school-based physical activity sessions (twice a week) as the intervention group. They receive general health handouts but do not engage in structured family routines or receive home-based support.

Behavioral: School-Only PA Program

Wait-List Control

OTHER

Students continue with the standard school curriculum and routine physical education classes. They receive no additional intervention during the study period but are offered educational materials after the final assessment.

Behavioral: Standard Physical Education

Interventions

Family-Supported PA Program BEHAVIORAL

Consists of two components: School component: Structured aerobic games and skills practice delivered by PE teachers twice a week. Home component: Weekly parent-child joint activity routines (one weekday, one weekend) supported by goal-setting sheets. Parents receive weekly WeChat prompts to facilitate planning and positive communication.

Family-Supported Intervention

Standard Physical Education BEHAVIORAL

Participants continue with the standard school curriculum and routine physical education classes. No additional structured activities or materials are provided during the study period.

Wait-List Control

School-Only PA Program BEHAVIORAL

Consists of structured aerobic games and skills practice delivered by PE teachers twice a week (same frequency and intensity as the family intervention). Participants receive general health education handouts but do not engage in structured family routines or receive home-based support.

Active Control (School-Only PA)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled as a student at the participating study schools.
• Aged between 10 and 14 years.
• Provided written parental consent and written student assent.
• Able to comprehend and complete questionnaires in Chinese.
• Judged by the school health team as safe to participate in moderate-intensity physical activity.

You may not qualify if:

• Having a physician-advised restriction on exercise.
• Suffering from an acute illness at the time of baseline assessment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Jinan University Guangzhou: lead

Study Sites (1)

School of Physical Education, Jinan University

Guangzhou, China

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sedentary Behavior; Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Personal Satisfaction

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Data analysts were also masked to group assignment.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Cluster randomized controlled trial. Schools were the unit of randomization (clusters), assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the intervention, active control, or wait-list control arm.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 24, 2026
• First Posted: February 2, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2026
• Study Completion: February 1, 2026
• Last Updated: February 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

CN (1)