Short bouTs of Exercise for Preschool-age Children

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

— STEP  

Official title:

Effects of Short Bouts of Physical Activity in Low-income Preschool-age Children

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01588392
• Other study ID #: 2010-0817
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: November 2011
• Est. completion date: September 2013

Study information

• Verified date: June 2023
• Source: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine if short bouts of structured physical activity implemented within the classroom setting as part of designated gross-motor playtime will increase preschool-age children during-school physical activity level.

Description:

Most preschool centers provide two 30-minute sessions of gross-motor/outdoor playtime per preschool day. Within this time frame, children accumulate most of their activity within the first 10 minutes. This study is a cluster randomized controlled study designed to examine the effects of short bouts of structured physical activity implemented within the classroom setting as part of designated gross-motor playtime on during-school physical activity in preschoolers. Results from this intervention could provide evidence that a physical activity policy that exposes preschoolers to shorter bouts of structured physical activity throughout the preschool day could potentially increase preschooler's physical activity levels.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 323
• Est. completion date: September 2013
• Est. primary completion date: May 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 3 Years to 5 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Attend one of 10 participating preschool centers
• Attend preschool full-time
• Children between 2.9 - 5 years of age on the date of baseline assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Did not have a condition limiting their participation in routine gross-motor playtime at preschool
• Unable to wear the activity monitor

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Short bouts of structured physical activity
Short bouts of structured physical activity preschools will be asked to implement age-appropriate 10 minute structured physical activity routines within the classroom setting followed by 20 minutes of usual unstructured playtime activities. Intervention will be implemented for a total of 30 minutes during both morning and afternoon gross motor playtime 5 days/week for 6 months.
• Unstructured physical activity
Unstructured physical activity intervention will consist of 30 minutes of supervised unstructured free playtime twice. intervention will be delivered during both morning and afternoon gross motor playtime for 5 days/week for 6 months.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Preschool centers in Springfield, MA	Springfield	Massachusetts

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change from baseline in Physical activity levels at 6-month	Physical activity levels will be assessed with accelerometer and direct observation system	Baseline, 3-month and 6-month after study initiation