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Physical DisabilityNCT07703306

Acceptability of FitSkills in the Irish Context for Young People With Childhood-onset Physical Disability

A study testing Gym based exercise in people with Physical Disability, run by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

FitSkills is an evidence based community based gym programme developed in Australia. It was developed in response to the barriers people with disability experience to accessing community-based physical activity. Within FitSkills, people with disability are paired with university students who act as a peer mentor. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 24 years
Conditions the study is for
Physical Disability
What is being tested?
Gym based exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
25 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jul 2026to Jan 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 13 to 24 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Have a primary physical disability diagnosis, either congenital or acquired by age 15
  • Are aged between 13-24 years
  • Have not taken part in a regular gym programme in the previous 3 months (i.e. at least once a week for 3 months)
  • Can follow instructions in English
  • Are fit and well enough to participate in exercise

Who cannot join

  • Have an acute or concurrent medical condition rendering them unfit to participate in moderate-level physical activity
  • If they had an impaired ability to take part safely in a gym environment due to significant behavioural challenges.

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Jennifer Ryan, PhD contact

014022413

jenniferryan@rcsi.com

Ailish Malone, PhD contact

About this study

Official title: The Feasibility and Acceptability of Translating FitSkills to the Irish Context to Facilitate Physical Activity Participation for Young People With Childhood-onset Physical Disability

FitSkills is an evidence based community based gym programme developed in Australia. It was developed in response to the barriers people with disability experience to accessing community-based physical activity. Within FitSkills, people with disability are paired with university students who act as a peer mentor. Pairs exercise together at a community gym location twice a week for 12 weeks. FitSkills has been shown to improve physical and social health among people with disabilities.

FitSkills has not been delivered outside of Australia. The investigators are assessing how practical it is to deliver FitSkills in Ireland with the support of healthcare and physical activity professionals. The investigators want to understand the demand for this programme among young people with childhood-onset physical disability aged 13-24 years. In addition, the investigators want to learn if taking part in FitSkills influences exercise confidence and mental health and well-being among young people with childhood-onset physical disability.

Being tested
Gym based exercise
Keywords
physical activity, physical disability
Medical subject headings
Motor Activity

What participants receive

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

  • Gym based exerciseOther

    12 week community gym exercise programme. Twice weekly gym sessions for 60 minutes. Peer support provided by a third level healthcare student from host university. Standardised exercise programme developed by gym staff with support from the investigators. Goals and preferences of participants considered in programme development. This is the only intervention and there is no additional intervention provided

Study groups in NCT07703306
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
FitSkillsOtherFitSkills- Community-based physical activity programme
Receives: Other: Gym based exercise

What is being measured

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

  1. Participant recruitment (Reach)

    Participant recruitment (reach) will be assessed by the number of individuals who express interest in the study and the proportion who are eligible and enrolled.

    Additional descriptive data will be collected on recruitment, including the number of enquiries and completed expressions of interest, how participants heard about the study (e.g., healthcare professional referral, flyer, or other sources), eligibility outcomes (number eligible, number excluded, and reasons for exclusion), and basic demographic characteristics (age, gender, disability type, and location) of individuals expressing interest.

    Measured: Up to 6 months from study opening for recruitment

  2. Adoption by healthcare and physical activity professionals

    Adoption will be assessed by the number and proportion of healthcare and physical activity professionals who are invited and agree to support implementation of the intervention.

    Additional descriptive data will be collected on professional characteristics (e.g., profession, service type, public or private service, and service location) and reasons for non-participation (e.g., work capacity constraints or lack of interest).

    Measured: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention

  3. Intervention Feasibility

    Intervention feasibility will be assessed by the proportion of participant pairs who complete the programme at 12 weeks.

    Additional descriptive data will be collected, including the number of pairs successfully matched (young people and student mentors), the number attending the group orientation session, and participant engagement (e.g., use of the challenge board).

    Fidelity to programme content and adverse events will be monitored and recorded using exercise log-books.

    Measured: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention

  4. Feasibility of the Intervention (Feasibility Intervention Measure)

    Feasibility will be assessed using the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM), completed by healthcare and physical activity professionals following completion of their involvement in implementation.

    The FIM is a 4-item scale assessing perceived feasibility (e.g., whether the programme is possible, practical, and easy to implement), with responses rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree.

    Measured: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)

  5. Feasibility of collaboration between professionals

    Feasibility of collaboration between healthcare and physical activity professionals will be assessed using a communication logbook completed by professionals involved in implementation.

    The logbook will capture the number of contacts between professionals and characteristics of communication, including reason for contact, type of communication, and outcome of communication.

    Measured: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention

  6. Acceptability of the intervention among professionals

    Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed through online focus groups conducted with healthcare and physical activity professionals following implementation.

    Focus groups will explore participants' perceptions of the acceptability of the programme, including its perceived appropriateness, burden, and satisfaction with implementation.

    Measured: At completion of the intervention (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)

  7. Acceptability of the intervention ( Acceptability of Intervention Measure)

    Acceptability will be assessed using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM), completed by healthcare and physical activity professionals.

    The AIM is a 4-item scale assessing perceived acceptability (e.g., whether the programme is appealing, meets approval, and is welcomed), with responses rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree.

    Measured: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)

  8. Appropriateness of the intervention ( Intervention Appropriateness Measure)

    Appropriateness will be assessed using the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM), completed by healthcare and physical activity professionals.

    The IAM is a scale assessing perceived appropriateness (i.e., the extent to which the programme is suitable and relevant), with responses rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree.

    Measured: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)

  9. Acceptability of the intervention among young people

    Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed through online semi-structured interviews conducted with young people with disability who participated in the programme.

    Interviews will explore participants' perceptions of acceptability, including satisfaction with the programme, perceived benefits, and burden of participation.

    Measured: At completion of the intervention (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Exercise self efficacy ( Exercise Self Efficacy Scale)

    Exercise self-efficacy will be assessed using the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, completed by young people with childhood-onset physical disability.

    The scale consists of 10 items assessing confidence in engaging in physical activity, with responses rated on a 4-point Likert scale (not at all true, rarely true, sometimes true, always true). Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater exercise self-efficacy.

    Measured: Baseline (prior to intervention initiation) and at 12 weeks (end of intervention)

  2. Mental health and well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form)

    Mental health and well-being will be assessed using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), completed by young people with childhood-onset physical disability.

    The MHC-SF assesses emotional, social, and psychological well-being using a 6-point Likert scale (1 = everyday to 6 = never). Scores can be interpreted using continuous total and domain scores, with higher scores indicating greater well-being. Participants may also be classified as flourishing, moderately mentally healthy, or languishing based on established scoring criteria.

    Measured: Baseline (prior to intervention initiation) and at 12 weeks (end of intervention)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Jul 2026
  2. Study startJul 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionJan 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJan 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
Health services research
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
25 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07703306
Sponsor's protocol ID
202510045
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
27 May 2026
Last updated
14 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Brady K, Ryan J, Cooper A, Shields N, Sofiany M, Malone A. Collaborative practice to support community-based physical activity for young people with childhood-onset physical disability: A scoping review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2026 Sep;68(9):1195-1206. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.70209. Epub 2026 Feb 16.

    PubMed 41699938
  • Shields N, Cleary SL, McKenzie G, Hawke L, Bury S, Taylor NF. 'Have a go, you might surprise yourself': a qualitative study of the experiences of autistic adolescents and young adults of a community gym-based exercise programme. Disabil Rehabil. 2026 Aug;48(17):5521-5536. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2026.2627626. Epub 2026 Feb 9.

    PubMed 41660938
  • Shields N, Bhowon Y, Prendergast L, Cleary S, Taylor NF. Fostering positive attitudes towards interacting with young people with disability among health students: a stepped-wedge trial. Disabil Rehabil. 2024 Mar;46(6):1212-1219. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2193429. Epub 2023 Apr 26.

    PubMed 37101339
  • Shields N, Willis C, Imms C, Prendergast LA, Watts JJ, van Dorsselaer B, McKenzie G, Bruder AM, Taylor NF; FitSkills Partnership Project Group; FitSkills partnership project group. FitSkills: protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a community-based exercise programme to increase participation among young people with disability. BMJ Open. 2020 Jul 8;10(7):e037153. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037153.

    PubMed 32641337
  • Shields N, Willis C, Imms C, McKenzie G, van Dorsselaer B, Bruder AM, Kennedy RA, Bhowon Y, Southby A, Prendergast LA, Watts JJ, Taylor NF. Feasibility of scaling-up a community-based exercise program for young people with disability. Disabil Rehabil. 2022 May;44(9):1669-1681. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1903103. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

    PubMed 33784487
  • McKenzie G, Shields N, Willis C. 'Finding what works for me' - a qualitative study of factors influencing community gym participation for young adults with cerebral palsy. Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Jun;45(12):1984-1991. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2083243. Epub 2022 Jun 12.

    PubMed 35694973
  • Shields N, Bhowon Y, Willis C, Taylor NF, Bohingamu Mudiyanselage S, Watts JJ, Imms C, Prendergast LA. A community-based physical activity intervention (FitSkills) can improve participation attendance of young people with disability: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial. Br J Sports Med. 2025 Oct 10;59(20):1426-1434. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-109877.

    PubMed 40829864
  • Shields N, Mizzi N, Buhlert-Smith K, Strydom A, Prendergast L, Hocking DR. A 12-week exercise programme has a positive effect on everyday executive function in young people with Down syndrome: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2022 Dec;66(12):924-938. doi: 10.1111/jir.12979. Epub 2022 Sep 13.

    PubMed 36101998

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Gym based exercise in people with Physical Disability, run by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

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 5 inclusion and 2 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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 Jennifer Ryan, PhD (014022413, jenniferryan@rcsi.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Participant recruitment (Reach) (time frame: Up to 6 months from study opening for recruitment). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT07703306, which also lists 8 linked publications.

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 14 Jul 2026.

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