A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of an Intervention to Increase Physical Activity of Preschool-Aged Children Attending Early Childhood Education and Care: Study Protocol for the ‘Everybody Energise’ Trial

Tessa Delaney, Jacklyn K. Jackson, Jannah Jones, Alix Hall, Ashleigh Dives, Taya Wedesweiler, Libby Campbell, Nicole Nathan, Maria Romiti, Stewart G. Trost, Melanie Lum, Yeshe Colliver, Lara Hernandez and Sze Lin Yoong
Additional contact information
Tessa Delaney: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Jacklyn K. Jackson: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Jannah Jones: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Alix Hall: Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales 2300, Australia
Ashleigh Dives: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Taya Wedesweiler: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Libby Campbell: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Nicole Nathan: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Maria Romiti: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Stewart G. Trost: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland Centre for Children’s Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia
Melanie Lum: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia
Yeshe Colliver: Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
Lara Hernandez: NSW Office of Preventive Health, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia
Sze Lin Yoong: Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales 2287, Australia

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: The use of ‘Energisers,’ short bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), have been shown to significantly increase children’s physical activity within the school setting but not within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of an intervention involving the provision of educator-led daily Energisers to increase the time children spend in MVPA while attending ECEC. Fourteen ECEC centres in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia, will be randomised to either an intervention or control group. The intervention group will be supported by the research team to implement three brief (5-min) educator-led Energisers each day for children aged three to six years between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Control ECEC centres will continue to provide ‘normal practice’ to children. The primary trial outcome is child minutes of MVPA whilst in ECEC, assessed objectively via accelerometery over three days. Outcome assessment will occur at baseline and 6 months post-baseline. Linear mixed models under an intention-to-treat framework will be used to compare differences between groups in MVPA at follow-up. This will be the first cluster randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of Energisers in isolation on increasing the time children spend in MVPA.

Keywords: early childhood education and care; physical activity; preschool; RCT; intervention studies; early childhood; sedentary behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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