FIT FIRST Teen Effectiveness and School Implementation Study - a Cluster Randomised Mixed Methods Trial

What this Trial Is About

This research evaluates the effects of the FIT FIRST Teen program on adolescents aged 13 to 16 years, focusing on physical fitness, motivation, well-being, and how the program can be implemented in schools. The study aims to answer if the program improves cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, muscle strength, well-being, motivation towards physical activity, and body image. It also explores challenges teachers and schools face during program implementation. The study compares the FIT FIRST Teen program, which involves high-intensity sports drills and games, to usual physical education curricula. Teachers in participating schools receive a one-day training and use a manual to deliver three 45-minute lessons per week over a full school year. The control group continues regular physical education. Schools keep logbooks to report weekly activities. Participants will undergo various assessments including the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test for cardiometabolic fitness, body composition measurements, muscular fitness and motor control tests, and questionnaires assessing well-being, body image, motivation, and self-perception. The study uses a mixed-method approach including interviews and questionnaires to evaluate implementation. The total study duration is a full school year with outcomes measured from baseline to 40 weeks.

FIT FIRST Teen - School Intervention Study