Controlled Evaluation of an Exercise Program for Overweight Adolescents
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: training group.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Adolescent, Pediatric Obesity, Exercise Therapy, Health Promotion. Basic parameters: 12 years — 14 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Switzerland
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Now! Project - a Controlled Evaluation of a Physical Activity Program for Adolescents With Overweight
Overview
Physical activity decreases as young people get older, especially during the shift from early to late adolescence. Unfortunately, around 81% of school-aged children worldwide between the ages of 11 and 17 do not meet the recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity per day - and this is also true in Switzerland. Not being active enough, whether normal weight or overweight, can lead to long-term health problems and is a major factor in becoming overweight over time. This results in healthcare costs and negatively affects quality of life. Supporting physical activity in overweight youth requires well-rounded, thoughtful programs. The investigators studying the impact of the movement programs now! and now!+ on the physical activity and health of young people. The goal is to look at both physical and mental changes equally. Taking part in this study involves minimal physical or mental risk for the participants. These small risks from the testing methods and activities are taken into account in how the program is explained and carried out. The benefits for the participants - feeling healthier and fitter physically, and more confident and capable mentally - clearly outweigh any potential risks, thanks to the additional, guided, and personalized exercise program. The participants take part in the now! and now!+ exercise programs run by the Basel-Stadt Sports Office and the DSBG. now! is a 90-minute group session with up to 14 young people, while now!+ is a 90-minute small-group session with 2 to 4 participants. Both programs take place once a week over a 12-month period and pause during school holidays (38 training weeks in total). Each session includes a warm-up, a strength or endurance training block, and a coordination phase. The program is modular and adapted to the physical and personal needs of each participant. This ensures that overweight adolescents are not overstrained and don't develop symptoms like pain, frustration, or lack of motivation (Behringer et al., 2011), while still allowing for a training stimulus that supports physical improvement. The results of the evaluations are directly used to improve and further develop the exercise program. The overall project includes three rounds, each consisting of one year of training and three test sessions, each lasting about two hours. The now! and now!+ programs are held weekly for a total of 38 weeks per year, with breaks during school holidays. Each of the three test sessions includes the same set of assessments (see "Study Intervention") and follows a set order: The process begins with measuring body size and blood pressure, followed by a static retinal vessel analysis. After these medical checks, participants do a 5-minute warm-up on a stationary bike at a set resistance level. Then, strength tests are performed: knee extension on the IsoMed 2000, handgrip strength, and jump power on the Leonardo force plate. The endurance test using spiroergometry marks the end of the physical assessments. Finally, impulse control is tested, and participants complete a set of questionnaires. At the end of the session, each participant is given an actigraph (a small motion sensor worn on the body) to track their physical activity over the following seven days.
Interventions
- Behavioral training group
Participants in training group are invited to take part in two structured training sessions per week, each lasting 90 minutes: One session takes place in a larger group setting, where participants engage in physical activities and games together. The second session is held in a small group format with 1-2 peers-either friends the participant already knows or peers they meet during the larger group session. Each training session is supervised by a qualified instructor and includes: Fun, game-
Primary outcome measures
- Aerobic performance [Time frame: over the time period of one year of intervention, october to october]
- Strength assessment [Time frame: over the time period of one year of intervention, october to october]
Secondary outcome measures (4)
- Retinal vessel Analysis [Time frame: time period of one year]
- Blood pressure [Time frame: time period of one year]
- Enjoyment of physical activity [Time frame: over the time period of one year of intervention, october to october]
- Body composition [Time frame: over the time period of one year of intervention, october to october]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- BMI above the 90th percentile for their age and gender (WHO reference table)
- Deficits in movement motivation and motor skills
- No health complaints or movement-restricting conditions
- No health risks for maximal exertion
- Ability to verbally communicate pain or discomfort
- Unremarkable PAR-Q questionnaire
- Signed parental consent form
Exclusion criteria
- Acute or chronic illness
- Inability to follow the study procedures (e.g., language barriers, psychological disorders)
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
Switzerland · 1 center
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health — Basel
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06923865 · Now!-Projekt, 2024-01651