Marathon Kids UK: study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of a school-based running programme

Introduction Schools are promising settings for physical activity promotion; however, they are complex and adaptive systems that can influence the quality of programme implementation. This paper presents an evaluation of a school-based running programme (Marathon Kids). The aims of this study are (1) to identify the processes by which schools implement the programme, (2) identify and explain the contextual factors affecting implementation and explications of effectiveness and (3) examine the relationship between the level of implementation and perceived outcomes. Methods Using a realist evaluation framework, a mixed method single-group before-and-after design, strengthened by multiple interim measurements, will be used. Year 5 (9–10 years old) pupils and their teachers will be recruited from six state-funded primary schools in Leicestershire, UK. Data will be collected once prior to implementation, at five discrete time points during implementation and twice following implementation. A weekly implementation log will also be used. At time point 1 (TP1) (September 2016), data on school environment, teacher and pupil characteristics will be collected. At TP1 and TP6 (July 2017), accelerometry, pupil self-reported physical activity and psychosocial data (eg, social support and intention to be active) will be collected. At TP2, TP3 and TP5 (January, March and June 2017), observations will be conducted. At TP2 and TP5, there will be teacher interviews and pupil focus groups. Follow-up teacher interviews will be conducted at TP7 and TP8 (October 2017 and March 2018) and pupil focus group at TP8. In addition, synthesised member checking will be conducted (June 2018) with a mixed sample of schools. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study was obtained through Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Subcommittee (R16-P032 & R16-P116). Findings will be disseminated via print, online media and dissemination events as well as practitioner and/or research journals

"I just like the feeling of it, outside being active": pupils' experiences of a school-based running program, a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: School-based running programs that promote daily (or regular) walking/jogging/running are an emerging public health initiative. However, evaluation of these programs has predominantly used quantitative measures that limit understanding and explanations of contextual influences on pupil participation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to qualitatively explore pupils' experiences of participating in a primary-school-based running program (Marathon Kids) to provide relevant insights and inform program developments. METHODS: Nine semistructured focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of 50 pupils (26 girls and 24 boys) between 6 and 10 years of age from 5 primary schools in England. All schools had delivered the running program for 5-9 months during the 2015-16 academic year. Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. RESULTS: Pupils identified a range of organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors that they believed influenced their participation in the program. Six themes were identified as being important to pupils' experiences: Marathon Kids as an enabling program, pupils' autonomy to participate, peer influence on participation (e.g., development of social cohesion), teacher influence on delivery (e.g., fidelity of implementation), logistics and suitability of the school environment, and appropriateness of program resources. CONCLUSIONS: School-based running programs can offer an enjoyable physical activity experience for children; however, it is important to understand how current delivery approaches influence pupils' participation. Aspects that were believed to facilitate enjoyment included pupil autonomy to participate, perceived benefits of participation (including psychosocial outcomes), and a supportive school environment. Further research is required to identify the type and level of support required by schools to sustain pupil participation in running programs so that their perceived value is maintained

Evidence into practise to increase children's physical activity through schools settings: An exploration of pupils' experiences of participating in a school based running programme: Marathon Kids [Abstract]

Evidence into practise to increase children's physical activity through schools settings: An exploration of pupils' experiences of participating in a school based running programme: Marathon Kids [Abstract

A retrospective qualitative evaluation of barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a school-based running programme

Background There is growing interest in school-based interventions which deliver opportunities for additional physical activity time outside of physical education (PE). A practical and cost-effective approach may be school running programmes. Consequently, many school-based running initiatives are currently being implemented in a grass-roots style movement across the UK. However, research on the implementation of physical activity programmes in schools is notably underdeveloped. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to better understand the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a running programme, Marathon Kids (MK), within primary schools in England. Methods Two sets of semi-structured interviews were conducted, the first with each of the three core members of staff responsible for MK, and the second with each of the MK school staff Champions from 20 primary schools. Also, nine focus groups were conducted with 55 pupils (6–10 years) from five of the schools; all were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three themes were identified surrounding the barriers and facilitators to implementation: features of the programme (e.g. ethos and resources), school climate (e.g. culture; whole school engagement; PE and physical activity policies and goals; and physical environment) and programme implementation decisions (e.g. aspirations and planning and sustainability). Conclusion Findings suggest that the barriers and facilitators to implementation are wide-ranging and include programme, organisational and system-level factors. Collectively pointing towards the need for a preparation period before implementation to understand schools’ readiness to implement and context-specific factors, both regarding organisational capacity and programme specific capacity

Sedentary behaviour among Scottish youth: prevalence and determinants - Project STIL (Scotland)

A great deal of media coverage has been devoted to the issue of physical inactivity in children and young people. Do they watch too much TV and sit for too long at the computer? Does this mean that they do inadequate amounts of physical activity? These are key questions we do not have definite answers to. This project was established to investigate the amount and types of sedentary behaviour in Scottish adolescents and what factors are related to sedentary behaviour. Concurrent with this project, we collected data for the UK, through Project STIL (‘Sedentary Teenagers and Inactive Lifestyles’) but sampling estimates meant that only 4 schools in Scotland were assessed. There was a need, therefore, for a larger, more representative, Scottish sample for reliable estimates for the prevalence of sedentary behaviour. Additional funding was therefore offered in 2002 by the young People’s Programme at NHS Health Scotland to increase the size of the Scottish sample to make it more representative. Project STIL (Scotland) addressed two fundamental questions concerning sedentary behaviour outside school time in adolescent boys and girls in Scotland: •What is the prevalence of key sedentary behaviours in young people in Scotland? •What are the main determinants of sedentary behaviour

Sedentary Behaviour in Young People: Prevalence and Determinants - Project STIL

Project STIL (Sedentary Teenagers and Inactive Lifestyles) addressed three fundamental questions concerning sedentary behaviour in adolescent boys and girls in the UK: 1. What is the prevalence of key sedentary behaviours in young people? 2. What links exist between sedentary behaviours and other healthrelated behaviours? 3. What are the main determinants of sedentary behaviour

A cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the 'Girls Active' intervention: a study protocol

Background: Despite the health benefits of physical activity, data from the UK suggest that a large proportion of adolescents do not meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This is particularly evident in girls, who are less active than boys across all ages and may display a faster rate of decline in physical activity throughout adolescence. The ‘Girls Active’ intervention has been designed by the Youth Sport Trust to target the lower participation rates observed in adolescent girls. ‘Girls Active’ uses peer leadership and marketing to empower girls to influence decision making in their school, develop as role models and promote physical activity to other girls. Schools are provided with training and resources to review their physical activity, sport and PE provision, culture and practices to ensure they are relevant and attractive to adolescent girls. Methods/Design: This study is a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) aiming to recruit 20 secondary schools. Clusters will be randomised at the school level (stratified by school size and proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) pupils) to receive either the ‘Girls Active’ intervention or carry on with usual practice (1:1). The 20 secondary schools will be recruited from state secondary schools within the Midlands area. We aim to recruit 80 girls aged 11 –14 years in each school. Data will be collected at three time points; baseline and seven and 14 months after baseline. Our primary aim is to investigate whether ‘Girls Active’ leads to higher objectively measured (GENEActiv) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescent girls at 14 months after baseline assessment compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes include other objectively measured physical activity variables, adiposity, physical activity-related psychological factors and the cost-effectiveness of the ‘Girls Active’ intervention. A thorough process evaluation will be conducted during the course of the intervention delivery. Discussion: The findings of this study will provide valuable information on whether this type of school-based approach to increasing physical activity in adolescent girls is both effective and cost-effective in the U

Children's experiences of fun and enjoyment during a season of sport education

This paper reports on a sixteen week Sport Education (SE) unit with just over 70 Year 5 students (mean age 10.04 years) in one UK school during the spring and summer terms of 2001 and discusses students’ experiences of SE. Student interviews were conducted throughout the season and a questionnaire on different aspects of motivation were administered prior to, and on completion of, the SE season. We report and examine the data in relation to a number of hypothesized influences on fun and enjoyment, including being part of a team, autonomy, competition and winning and improvement in game play, social interaction and being with friends, competition and winning, perception of sport competence and autonomy

Rationale, design and baseline data from the PREPARE (Pre-diabetes Risk Education and Physical Activity Recommendation and Encouragement) programme study: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The PREPARE programme study is a randomized controlled trial which aims to determine whether structured education can be used to increase physical activity and improve glucose tolerance in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). This paper outlines the rationale, design and baseline data from the PREPARE programme study. Methods: Individuals with IGT were recruited from ongoing diabetes screening programmes. Outcomes included an oral glucose tolerance test, physical activity (piezoelectric pedometer) and psychological determinants. Results: 103 individuals (male n=65; female n=38) were recruited, 28% of whom were from a South Asian ethnic background. At baseline the participants mean age and BMI were 64 ± 9 years and 29.4 ± 4.5 kg/m2 respectively. Steps per day were associated with 2-h glucose (ρ = -0.22, p = 0.03), fasting glucose (ρ = -0.22, p = 0.04), HDL-cholesterol (ρ = 0.23, p = 0.02), triglycerides (ρ = -0.22, p = 0.03) and body fat percentage (ρ = -0.26, p = 0.01). Mean selfefficacy scores were significantly (p<0.01) higher for walking than for any other form of exercise. Participants reported high levels of concern about their IGT status but were confident that exercise would help treat/control IGT. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the importance of developing effective physical activity and self-management programmes for individuals with IGT. Practical implications: This study provides a detailed framework for the promotion of physical activity in a population identified with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes which, if successful, could feasibly be implemented in a primarily health care or community setting

The role of physical activity in the management of impared glucose tolerance: a systematic review.

Although physical activity is widely reported to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals with prediabetes, few studies have examined this issue independently of other lifestyle modifications. The aim of this review is to conduct a systematic review of controlled trials to determine the independent effect of exercise on glucose levels and risk of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes (IGT and/or IFG). A detailed search of MEDLINE (1966–2006) and EMBASE (1980–2006) found 279 potentially relevant studies, eight of which met the inclusion criteria for this review. All eight studies were controlled trials in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Seven studies used a multi-component lifestyle intervention that included exercise, diet and weight loss goals and one used a structured exercise training intervention. Four studies used the incidence of diabetes over the course of the study as an outcome variable and four relied on 2-h plasma glucose as an outcome measure. In the four studies that measured the incidence of diabetes as an outcome, the risk of diabetes was reduced by approximately 50% (range 42–63%); as these studies reported only small changes in physical activity levels, the reduced risk of diabetes is likely to be attributable to factors other than physical activity. In the remaining four studies, only one reported significant improvements in 2-h plasma glucose even though all but one reported small to moderate increases in maximal oxygen uptake. These results indicate that the contribution of physical activity independent of dietary or weight loss changes to the prevention of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes is equivocal