Abstract
Schools have been the main context for physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) interventions among adolescents, but there is inconsistent evidence on whether they also improve dimensions of the health−related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based active lifestyle intervention on dimensions of HRQoL. A secondary aim was to verify whether sex, age, and HRQoL at baseline were moderators of the intervention effect. A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted at three control and three intervention schools in Florianopolis, Brazil. All students from 7th to 9th grade were invited to participate. A school year intervention, designed primarily to increase PA and reduce SB, included strategies focused on (i) teacher training on PA, SB, and nutrition, and availability of teaching materials related to these contents; (ii) environmental improvements (i.e., creation and revitalization of spaces for the practice of PA in school); and (iii) education strategies, with the availability of folders and posters regarding PA, SB, and nutrition. Participants and the research staffs were not blinded to group assignment, but a standardized evaluation protocol was applied at baseline and after the intervention (March and November 2017) using the KIDSCREEN−27 to assess HRQoL across five dimensions. Mixed linear models were performed to evaluate the effect of the Movimente intervention on the five HRQoL dimensions. Of the 921 students who answered the questionnaire at baseline, 300 and 434 completed the study in control and intervention groups, respectively (dropouts: 20%). The results revealed no significant effects of the intervention on any HRQoL dimensions. A reduction of the school environment dimension was observed in both the control (-2.44; 95% CI: -3.41 to -1.48) and intervention groups (-2.09; 95% CI: -2.89 to -1.30). Sensitivity analyses showed that students in the highest baseline tertiles of HRQoL in any dimension had a reduction in their respective scores from pre- to post-intervention in both school groups. In conclusion, our results demonstrated no intervention effect on HRQoL dimensions and those students with the highest levels of HRQoL at baseline on all dimensions reduced from pre to post-intervention.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe trial is registered at the Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: NCT02944318; date of registration: October 18, 2016).
Highlights
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is defined as a construct that measures global well-being, encompassing the physical, emotional, mental, social, and behavioral domains (RavensSieberer et al, 2006)
Of the 1,427 eligible students, 921 students participated of the baseline measures, and 734 completed the study
There were no differences between intervention and control schools in any variables at baseline
Summary
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is defined as a construct that measures global well-being, encompassing the physical, emotional, mental, social, and behavioral domains (RavensSieberer et al, 2006). There is a need to develop strategies to sustain and improve HRQoL throughout adolescence (Wu et al, 2017; Marker et al, 2018). Evidence has shown that physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are associated with HRQoL among adolescents (Jalali-Farahani et al, 2016; Wong et al, 2017; Lee et al, 2019). The development of school-based interventions to promote active lifestyles may be an effective way of improving the HRQoL of adolescents (Wu et al, 2017)
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