Feasibility of a Healthy Lifestyle Program (Athletes for Life) in Mexicali, Baja California

NCT07847645 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: FMM/CEI-FMM/016/2023-2
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 14
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Childhood obesity affects 36.6% of children in Mexico and nearly 50% in Baja California. Traditional weight-centered interventions yield modest and unsustainable results. In contrast, improving cardiorespiratory fitness provides broad health benefits independently of weight loss. This quasi-experimental study assesses the feasibility and viability of Athletes for Life (AFL)-a community- and family-based behavioral program for parent-child dyads in Mexicali-comparing its overall impact against a control group.

Conditions

Obesity Prevention; Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

Keywords

Fitness; Physical Activity; Feasibility pilot study; Nutrition; Schoolchildren; Family; Healthy Lifestyle Program

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• 1-Mile Run/Walk Test completition time (seconds)

  Time required to complete a 1,605-meter (1-mile) run/walk test, recorded in minutes and seconds. The test was used as an indirect measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in adults and children. Unit of measure: seconds.

  Baseline, 4.5, 9 and 12 months

• Estimated VO₂max (mL/kg/min)

  Maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max) estimated using the Three-Minute Step Test (TMST). Adults and children stepped onto an 11-inch platform at a constant cadence of 96 beats per minute (BPM) for 3 minutes. Heart rate was monitored using a Polar FT1 device. Unit of measure: mL/kg/min

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (minutes/day)

  Daily time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, objectively assessed in adults and children using a waist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer during 7-day assessment periods. A minimum of 4 valid days, with at least 600 minutes of wear time per day, was required for inclusion in the analysis. Unit of measure: minutes/day.

  Baseline, 9 and 12 months

• Sedentary time (minutes/day)

  Daily time spent in sedentary behavior, objectively assessed in adults and children using a waist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer during 7-day assessment periods. A minimum of 4 valid days, with at least 600 minutes of wear time per day, was required for inclusion in the analysis. Unit of measure: minutes/day.

  Baseline, 9, and 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (15)

• BMI-for-age z-score

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

• Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m²)

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

• Waist-to-height ratio

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

• Waist-to-hip ratio

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

• Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

  Baseline, 4.5, 9, and 12 months

Study Arms (2)

Intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

The Athletes for Life (AFL) program in Mexicali is adapted from the original AFL methodology (Crespo et al., 2015) using national and international nutrition and physical activity guidelines. Program Structure * Phases: The program is divided into four progressive stages: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and a final sustainability phase. * Duration: The active phase lasts 9 months, featuring biweekly 1.5-hour sessions structured in both separate (parents/children) and joint family formats. * Sustainability: A 3-month non-intensive follow-up period promotes family autonomy through weekly phone calls or messages. * Theoretical Framework \& Strategies The curriculum integrates operant conditioning and the socioecological model to encourage healthy behavior changes across individual, interpersonal, and social levels. Key strategies include: positive reinforcement, a point/reward system, goal setting, self-monitoring, behavior modeling and social support.

Behavioral: Healthy lifestyle program

Control group

OTHER

The control group did not receive any AFL program content throughout the study period. Instead, participating families received monthly 90-minute health-promotion sessions consisting of educational presentations and simple activities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, with a focus on physical activity and nutrition.

Other: Control group

Interventions

Healthy lifestyle program BEHAVIORAL

The AFL program in Mexicali is a family-based healthy lifestyle behavioral program aimed at improving physical fitness, physical activity level, diet quality, and metabolic risk indicators. Structure \& Phases: Features a 9-month active phase (biweekly 1.5-hour sessions progressing through beginner, intermediate, and advanced stages) followed by a 3-month sustainability phase with weekly remote check-ins. * Behavioral Framework: Built on operant conditioning and socioecological models using goal setting, point/reward systems, positive reinforcement, and healthy food environments. * Core Components: Nutrition Education: Teaches portion sizes, food groups, and beverage choices (45 minutes for adults, 10 minutes for children). Physical Exercise: Focuses on physical conditioning, motor skills, and sports like soccer, volleyball, and baseball (45 minutes for adults, 80 minutes for children). Olympic Events: Celebratory family physical activity events held at the end of each stage.

Intervention group

Control group OTHER

The control group did not receive any AFL program content throughout the study period. Instead, participating families received monthly 90-minute health-promotion sessions consisting of educational presentations and simple activities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, with a focus on physical activity and nutrition.

Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Parent or caregiver aged 18 years or older
• Child aged 6 to 12 years
• Residence within 4 km of one of the targeted community centers

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of a mental or physical condition that contraindicated participation in sports/exercise
• Participation in formal sports activities (e.g., baseball, karate, or soccer)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad Autonoma de Baja California: lead
• San Diego State University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Universidad Autonoma de Baja California

Mexicali, Estado de Baja California, Mexico

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Interventions

Control Groups

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Study Officials

• Alva Nidia Laprada Villegas, MS

  Universidad Autonoma de Baja California

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Daniela Guadalupe Gonzalez Valencia, PhD

  Universidad Autonoma de Baja California

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Noe C Crespo, MS, MPH, PhD

  San Diego State University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: The study employed a quasi-experimental two-group design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the feasibility of the AFL program and explore factors related to effective long-term implementation (e.g., acceptability, barriers, and facilitators). The program was implemented and evaluated over a 12-month period, divided into four phases. The control group received only monthly health-promotion sessions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 17, 2026
• First Posted: September 29, 2026
• Study Start: May 23, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 29, 2025
• Study Completion: October 3, 2025
• Last Updated: September 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ME (1)