Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solutions in the Classroom and on Attitudes toward Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial among Primary Students from Eight Countries

Magdalena Mo Ching Mok, Ming-Kai Chin, Agata Korcz, Biljana Popeska, Christopher R. Edginton, Fatma Sacli Uzunoz, Hrvoje Podnar, Dané Coetzee, Luminita Georgescu, Arunas Emeljanovas, Milan Pasic, Govindasamy Balasekaran, Elizabeth Anderson and J. Larry Durstine
Additional contact information
Magdalena Mo Ching Mok: Graduate Institute of Educational Information and Measurement, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung City 40306, Taiwan
Ming-Kai Chin: The Foundation for Global Community Health, Henderson, NV 89012, USA
Agata Korcz: Department of Didactics of Physical Activity, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan 61-871, Poland
Biljana Popeska: Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goce Delcev University, Stip 2000, Macedonia
Christopher R. Edginton: Human Performance Center, University of Northern Iowa, 105, Cedar Falls, IA 50614, USA
Fatma Sacli Uzunoz: School of Sport Sciences and Technology, Department of Coaching Education, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, 50300 Nevşehir, Turkey
Hrvoje Podnar: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Dané Coetzee: Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), Focus Area, School of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Mafikeng 2790, South Africa
Luminita Georgescu: Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Arunas Emeljanovas: Institute of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
Milan Pasic: Primary School Ivo Andric, 11090 Belgrade, Serbia
Govindasamy Balasekaran: Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore
Elizabeth Anderson: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
J. Larry Durstine: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions have received considerable attention due to improvements seen in academic achievement, classroom behaviors, and attitude toward PA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solutions in changing children’s attitudes toward PA. Students ( N = 3036) aged 8–11 years from schools in Croatia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, and Turkey were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The experimental group received Brain Breaks® videos during classroom sessions throughout the four months of intervention. Student attitudes toward PA were measured using the Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS) before and after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a time interaction effect for all APAS variables except fitness. Time-by-group interaction effects with different effect sizes were found for most APAS variables, with the greatest gain effect noted in the experimental group for self-efficacy, followed by learning from the videos concerning PA benefits, exercise importance, and enjoyment from engaging in PA. This study provides evidence supporting Brain Breaks® in terms of learning experience, attitudes towards PA, and personal motivation. Using exercise videos is recommended as an interactive, technology-based PA solution that can be easily integrated into the school setting.

Keywords: physical activity; pediatrics; physical fitness; public health; teaching; youth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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