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Physical InactivityNCT05865782

Reconstructing Schoolyards With Greenery to Increase Schoolchildren's Physical Activity and Mitigate Climate Changes

A study testing Schoolyard reconstruction in people with Physical Inactivity and Environmental Exposure, run by Karolinska Institutet at 1 site in Sweden.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

By reconstructing schoolyards with greenery, physical activity levels among children can be increased at the population level and also mitigate health and environmental risks resulting from rising climate changes in urban areas. The overarching purpose of the proposed project is to: i. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 13 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Schoolyard reconstruction
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
3,600 participants
Where
1 siteSweden
Study dates
22 May 2024to 30 Nov 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 8 to 13 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • On school level:
  • -School selected for schoolyard reconstruction by the City of Stockholm
  • On individual level (schoolchildren):
  • Enrolled in participating school
  • 8-13 years old at the time of study start
  • In 2nd or 5th grade
  • Parents signed informed consent

Who cannot join

  • On school level:
  • -School not selected for schoolyard reconstruction by the City of Stockholm
  • On individual level (schoolchildren):
  • Not enrolled in participating school
  • Outside 8-13 years old age range and/or not in 2nd or 5th grade
  • Parents declined informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Daniel Berglind, PhD contact

+46703644797

daniel.berglind@ki.se

Sweden1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Karolinska Institutet

    Stockholm, 113 65

    Daniel Berglind, Phd.

    Recruiting

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

Official title: Skolgårdsprojketet: Bygga om skolgårdar i Stockholm Med grönska för Att öka Skolbarns Fysisk Aktivitet Och hälsa Samt Mildra klimatförändringarna i städer

By reconstructing schoolyards with greenery, physical activity levels among children can be increased at the population level and also mitigate health and environmental risks resulting from rising climate changes in urban areas.

The overarching purpose of the proposed project is to:

  1. increase physical activity levels among school-aged children, independent of socioeconomic factors, and thus affect short- and long-term health outcomes on a population level ii. establish an evidence-based bottom-up approach for schoolyard reconstructions iii. evaluate the cost-effectiveness of schoolyard reconstructions with greening on health outcomes and its environmental impact
Read the detailed description

Background More than half of Swedish schoolchildren do not meet the physical activity guidelines, which will have long-lasting effects on their health in adulthood. The school environment plays a crucial role in establishing healthy physical activity behaviors for a population.

A formal decision has been made to reconstruct 15 Stockholm public schoolyards from 2024 to 2026. This project is evaluating the effects of this decision.

Project design The project is designed as a quasi-experimental stepped-wedge trial, with schools serving as both intervention and control schools. Over the course of 3 years (2023-2026), a total of 15 schoolyard reconstructions will be evaluated, with 5 reconstructions per year. The units of observation will be second and fifth grade children, totaling 2,700 children.

Methods for data collection The following primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at baseline (May) and at follow-up one year later (May the following year), in all schools, among participating children.

Research questions

  1. How does schoolyard reconstruction affect physical activity levels, blood pressure, BMI, mental health, sleep, and sick leave in schoolchildren?
  2. Which components of schoolyard reconstruction are associated with changes (if any) in physical activity levels, blood pressure, BMI, mental health, sleep, and sick leave in schoolchildren?
  3. What would be the cost-effectiveness of schoolyard reconstruction on the health outcomes, physical activity levels, blood pressure, BMI, mental health, sleep, and sick leave of school children, as well as its impact on the microclimate and CO2-emissions in urban areas, if the project would be extended to other schools in Stockholm, and possibly Sweden as a whole?

Intervention description and theory The schoolyard reconstruction process will use a participatory bottom-up co-creation development approach involving students, school personnel and researchers and will be evidence-based, using prior knowledge on schoolyard features that are associated with children's physical activity during school-hours. Additionally, the schoolyard reconstruction intervention process will be discussed and acknowledged among all co-creators to increase the engagement, buy-in, feasibility, relevance and sustainability of the schoolyard reconstruction intervention.

Workshops will be held by experts from the City of Stockholm, Karolinska institutet and landscape architects with greenery experience, students, school personnel (e.g., principal, teachers etc.), at each school before schoolyard reconstruction initiation. The workshops will process the design and dimension of what components the schoolyard reconstruction should encompass, reflecting school personnel/students' proposals and local challenges and needs.

Statistical analyses Each school undertaking schoolyard renewal will be treated as an independent unit and analyzed separately (i.e., analyses of five separate schoolyard renewals, with appurtenant intervention school, per year). We will match each intervention school, based on school size and socioeconomic factors, with a control school undertaking schoolyard renewal at a different time-point. We deem it appropriate to analyze each control-intervention pair separately as each intervention school represent a unique schoolyard renewal intervention package (different reconstructions). We will also pool the pair-specific estimates, as appropriate, to quantify a global estimate of the total effect of the project.

Societal relevance Most schoolyards in Stockholm lack appealing play areas and are instead dominated by concrete and asphalt surfaces. As school participation is not segregated by socioeconomic factors, schoolyard reconstructions that promote physical activity can benefit children from all socioeconomic groups. Additionally, reconstructing schoolyards with greenery can mitigate health and environmental risks associated with increasing climate changes in urban areas.

Being tested
Schoolyard reconstruction
Medical subject headings
Sedentary Behavior

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Schoolyard reconstructionBehavioural

    The current study will be designed as a quasi-experimental stepped-wedge intervention where schools undertaking schoolyard reconstruction will act as both control and intervention schools. By using the stepped-wedge study design, with internal control schools, will enable the control for the seasonal variation in children's physical activity levels and for the age-related decline in physical activity throughout childhood. That is, without control schools we would be unable to attribute a change in physical activity to the reconstruction of the schoolyards - as any difference in physical activity before and after the schoolyard reconstruction in the intervention group could be explained by the natural change in physical activity over time.

Study groups in NCT05865782
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Schoolyard reconstructionExperimentalSchools undertaking schoolyard reconstruction will act as both control and intervention schools. Each year, a cross-sectional sample of 2nd and 5th grade children will be measured in all participating schools.
Receives: Behavioral: Schoolyard reconstruction

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in physical activity levels in children

    Physical activity levels in terms of daily minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity, total physical activity and daily steps measured objectively by Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in physical activity levels

Secondary outcomes (11)
  1. Change in musculoskeletal fitness in children

    Musculoskeletal fitness, in terms of handgrip strength ,will be measured by an analogue dynamometer (TKK 5825, Grip-A, Takei, Tokyo, Japan).

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in musculoskeletal fitness (handgrip strength)

  2. Change in weight in children

    Weight (in kilograms) will be measured with validated scales

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in weight

  3. Change in height in children

    Height (in centimeters) will be measured with validated stadiometers

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in height

  4. Change in blood pressure in children

    Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured three times (and we will use the mean value of the two last measures), in the seated position after a five-minutes rest, using a medically approved automatic digital blood pressure monitor

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in blood pressure

  5. Change in mental health in children

    Psychosocial functioning of children will be assessed by a parental proxy report of the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. Total difficulties score is generated by summing scores from all the scales except the prosocial scale and ranges from 0 to 40, higher score means worse outcome

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in mental health

  6. Change in sleep in children

    Sleep will be measured objectively by the GT3X+ accelerometer. In addition, parents will answer questions about children's sleep duration and quality in the last 6 months in the sleep questionnaire. These sleep questions are adapted from the validated Ages and Stages Questionnaire. The sleep quality score ranges from 0-12 and higher score means better outcome

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in sleep

  7. Change in sick leave

    Sick leave frequency and duration (occasions and days) will be collected from a Stockholm City database

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in sick leave

  8. Change in children's perception of the schoolyard quality

    A questionnaire with 7 items, previously used to evaluate schoolyard reconstructions, will be used to assess children's perception of the schoolyard quality

    Measured: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in children's perception of the schoolyard quality

  9. Schoolyard reconstruction costs

    Detailed budget costs for each schoolyard reconstruction, e.g., play equipment, construction and maintenance costs will be collected for each separate schoolyard reconstruction and further used for health economic evaluations

    Measured: Collected through study completion, an average of 1 year

  10. Environmental impact of schoolyard reconstruction

    Based on greenery increase from the schoolyard reconstruction we will use models for impact on CO2-emissions and albedo (Δα) scores (i.e., reflective properties from greenery) as environmental benefit outcomes

    Measured: Collected through study completion, an average of 1 year

  11. Incidents in the schoolyard

    Number of incidents (e.g., conflicts, sun burns etc.) from before to after schoolyard reconstruction

    Measured: Change in number of incidents from 12 months before to 12 months after schoolyard reconstruction

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 May 2023
  2. Study start22 May 2024
  3. Primary completion30 May 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Nov 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Sequential
Model description
Study design The current study will be designed as a quasi-experimental stepped-wedge intervention where schools undertaking schoolyard reconstruction will act as both control and intervention schools. Five schools will yearly receive the intervention (schoolyard reconstruction) at 4 different time points (during the summer breaks in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and the schools not receiving the intervention the specific year will act as control schools. The units where the proposed outcomes will be observed will be 2nd and 5th grade children (individual level) in the participating schools. Each year, a cross-sectional sample of 2nd and 5th grade children will be measured in all participating schools.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
3,600 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05865782
Sponsor's protocol ID
The Schoolyard project
Status last verified
May 2024
First submitted
29 Mar 2023
Last updated
20 Jun 2024
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Swedish law do not allow individual data sharing without ethical permission.

Publications

  • Wilen C, Ahlqvist VH, Migueles JH, Campos-Garzon P, Dahlen M, Kosidou K, Radholm K, Henriksson P, Berglind D. Reconstructing schoolyards with greenery to increase schoolchildren's physical activity and mitigate climate changes in urban areas: study protocol for a stepped-wedge trial. BMC Public Health. 2026 Feb 17;26(1):708. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-26609-9.

    PubMed 41699610

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Schoolyard reconstruction in people with Physical Inactivity and Environmental Exposure, run by Karolinska Institutet at 1 site in Sweden.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jun 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Daniel Berglind, PhD (+46703644797, daniel.berglind@ki.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in physical activity levels in children (time frame: 12 months change from baseline (in May before schoolyard reconstruction) to 1-year follow-up (in May 1 year later) in physical activity levels). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05865782, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Jun 2024.

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