Continuous Music and Sports Training for Children

NCT07469423 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: REC/24-25/0141
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 620
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The current study, JC Project MuSE, is a multi-year project aimed at initiating transformative changes in the lives of young learners in schools with a lower socio-economic background through the integration of music and sports education. The research project posits that engaging in structured music and sports programmes can lead to significant improvements in educational performance through the enhancement of executive functions. The research further explores the longitudinal effects of continuous music and sports training, examining the impact of these interventions on developing a greater sense of appreciation for these activities in these young learners. This research is a 3-year study that examines theoretical underpinnings, methodological approaches, and the impact of music and sports interventions to empower youth in schools of lower socio-economic background and promote holistic development through the synergistic effects of sports and music education.

Conditions

Primary School Students

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change of Baseline Student's Psychological Well-being level across three school years

  The World Health Organisation- Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) will be used to assess the level of psychological well-being of students. The scale aggregates a raw score and will be multiplied by 4 to yield a percentage score. Higher scores represent a higher level of psychological well-being. The scale will be completed by students with assistance from research staff.

  Baseline (Month 0), Month 9, Month 12, Month 21, Month 24, Month 33

• Change of Baseline Students' Executive Functioning across three school years

  The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) will be used to assess the level of executive functioning in students. The scale includes four subscales: inhibition, regulation, working memory, and planning. A total score can also be yielded. Higher scores represent a higher level of difficulty in executive functioning. The scale will be filled in by parents or guardians.

  Baseline (Month 0), Month 9, Month 12, Month 21, Month 24, Month 33

• Change of Baseline Students' Social-Emotional Competence across three school years

  The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment mini Second Edition (DESSA 2 mini) will be used to assess the level of social-emotional competence in students. The DESSA 2 mini consists of four parallel forms, which will be used consecutively across assessment timepoints. The scale will yield a total score. High scores represent a higher level of social-emotional competence. The scale will be filled in by the school teachers of the students.

  Baseline (Month 0), Month 9, Month 12, Month 21, Month 24, Month 33

• Change of Baseline Students' Academic Performance across three school years

  Annual school reports will be collected from the collaborative schools. At baseline, the annual school reports of the previous school year will be collected. The following details will be retrieved from the school report cards to keep tracking the academic performances of the student, scores of the subjects (e.g., Chinese, English, Mathematics, General Studies, Music, Physical Education) and students' behavioural indicators (e.g., conduct, punctuality, and attendance). Higher scores in core subjects indicate stronger academic performance. Higher scores in conduct, punctuality, and attendance reflect better behavioural performance.

  Baseline (Month 0), Month 12, Month 24, Month 33

Study Arms (4)

Continuous Music Training (CMT)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Continuous Music Training (CMT)

Continuous Sports Training (CST)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Continuous Sport Training (CST)

Continuous Music and Sports Training (CMST)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Continuous Music and Sports Training (CMST)

Treatment-as-usual (TAU)

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Continuous Music Training (CMT) OTHER

Participants in this arm will receive regular music training throughout the study period.

Continuous Music Training (CMT)

Continuous Sport Training (CST) OTHER

Participants in this arm will receive regular sports training throughout the study period.

Continuous Sports Training (CST)

Continuous Music and Sports Training (CMST) OTHER

Participants in this arm will receive regular music and sports training throughout the study period.

Continuous Music and Sports Training (CMST)

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Primary two to four students and their parents or guardians at local government schools or aided schools
• The school has 30% or more of their total student population receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and School Textbook Assistance
• Have provided informed consent indicating participation in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of significant physical, psychological, and cognitive comorbidities that will hinder participation in research procedures and the designed interventions of continuous music or sports training.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hong Kong Baptist University: lead
• The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust: collaborator
• SF&OC Sports Legacy: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hong Kong Baptist University

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of this trial, neither the staff, participants, nor care providers can be masked to allocation. The data analyst will be blinded after study completion by having the intervention group information coded.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 6, 2026
• First Posted: March 13, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2029
• Last Updated: March 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: 3 years after the completion of the study
• Access Criteria: The principal investigator will evaluate each request to determine if the data is accessible to other researchers.

Locations

HK (1)