The Encouraging Activity to Stimulate Young Minds Study: a curriculum-based physical activity intervention to enhance learning and health outcomes in the primary school

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Objective: Multiple physical and psychological health benefits can be attained when children participate in the recommended levels of physical activity. Schools have been identified as important institutions for the promotion of physical activity among children. However, the crowded school curriculum and competing school demands have affected both the quantity and quality of physical activity opportunities provided to children within primary school settings. As such, novel strategies are required to assist teachers to promote physical activity throughout the school day. The primary aim of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of a program that utilised physical activity integration as a teaching strategy to enhance engagement in mathematics lessons in primary schools. The primary outcome for the Encouraging Activity to Stimulate Young Minds (EASY Minds) study was children’s objectively measured physical activity (accelerometry) across the school day. Secondary outcomes included school-based sedentary time, and a range of key educational outcomes including children’s on-task behaviour, mathematical achievement and attitude towards mathematics. A secondary aim of this thesis was to examine the feasibility of integrating physical activity in the mathematics curriculum focussing on enjoyment and engagement and the quality of the pedagogy movement-based learning promotes. Methods: This thesis contains two distinct phases. Phase one was a pilot randomised controlled trial in a single school planned and delivered by the research team. Phase two was a cluster randomised controlled trial involving eight schools, which was delivered by trained classroom teachers. Phase 1: Phase one involved a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) that was conducted in one primary school, in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. Children from Grades 5 and 6 were recruited for the study (n = 54; mean age 10.53 years ± 0.7) and were randomised by class into the EASY Minds intervention (n = 27) or the control (n = 27) conditions. This intervention was delivered by the PhD candidate. The EASY Minds intervention was a six week school-based physical activity program that embedded physical activity within the primary school mathematics curriculum for up to three 60 minute sessions per week. The control groups participated in their usual daily mathematics program. The PhD candidate was responsible for delivering all program sessions (n = 17) at the intervention school in the pilot study. In the pilot study, assessments were taken at baseline, three and six, weeks to determine changes in physical activity and on task behaviour. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph accelerometers (GT3X, Pensacola, USA). On-task behaviour was measured using a momentary time sampling procedure and reported as a percentage of time. Intervention effects in the pilot study were assessed using linear mixed models following the intention to treat principle. Using intention-to-treat analysis, significant intervention effects were found for MVPA (9.7%, 95% CI=7.6 to 11.8, p<0.001) and sedentary time (-22.4%, 95% CI=-24.9 to 12.2, p<0.001) for the intervention group during Mathematics lessons (9.30am-10.30am). Significant intervention effects were also shown for MVPA 8.7% (95% CI = 5.8 to 11.6, p<0.001) and sedentary time -18.6% (95% CI = -24.9 to -12.2, p