On the way to and from school (OWS): active mobility interventions for the promotion of physical activity and mental well-being in adolescents in Bogotá, Colombia and Maputo, Mozambique
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN25216742 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN25216742 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | OWS001, Grant Ref: MR/Y012313/1 |
- Submission date
- 15/01/2024
- Registration date
- 29/01/2024
- Last edited
- 07/06/2024
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
This three-year implementation research project will assess the acceptability and impact of active mobility to and from school interventions (AMTS) for promoting healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being among secondary school adolescents, aged 8 to 16 years old. The project focuses on healthy lifestyle practices such as walking and cycling regularly to and from school as catalysts for the reduction of risks of non-communicable diseases (NCD). In doing so, the project will adopt a life course approach to implementation research underpinned by principles of diversity, inclusive stakeholder participation, and health equity. Such an approach will be instrumental in highlighting the health impact of active mobility policies targeting this critical life stage in different urban contexts in low and middle-income countries. This project focuses on two contrasting case studies in different global regions (Africa and Latin America), to shed light on the complexities and opportunities of the implementation, adaptation, and scalability of active mobility interventions, and the applicability of such interventions in a different social, cultural, economic, and governance context.
Who can participate?
Adolescents aged from 8 to 16 years old attending one of the selected schools
What does the study involve?
Firstly, the study will assess specific implementation outcomes of two novel existing AMTS interventions in Bogotá, Colombia: (i) Al colegio en bici (Cycling) and (ii) Ciempiés Caminos Seguros1 (Walking). Secondly, innovative citizen science methods will be used to assess the impact of cycling and walking interventions on physical activity and mental well-being outcomes. Thirdly, the feasibility of a pilot implementation of a similar active mobility intervention will be tested among adolescents in disadvantaged urban communities in low-income and low-resourced contexts in Maputo, Mozambique, where despite a large share of children and adolescents walking to school, there are no explicit policies or programmes to support such practices. Fourth, building on diverse research and implementation partnerships, the project will establish equitable collaborations across sectors for capacity building and facilitating an international dialogue and knowledge exchange around implementation research, policy adaptation and effectiveness, and the reduction of NCD risks through the promotion of physical activity and mental well-being in active mobility interventions. The project is structured around four work packages (WP) addressing the above guiding objectives.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The benefits of participating will be for stakeholders to share their perspectives of a local program in a safe and confidential environment and become part of a multisectoral and multinational research and collaborative network. A selected group of stakeholders will participate in some capacity-building activities that will benefit them with new skills and knowledge. The children will be able to share their perspectives and ideas for improvement with local and international stakeholders regarding AMTS programs and participate in tailored advocacy and empowerment training.
We do not foresee any risks for participants of the study. All data will be anonymized before the analyses, and we developed protocols for guarding sensitive data.
Where is the study run from?
University College London
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
June 2022 to June 2026
Who is funding the study?
1. Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD)
2. Medical Research Council
Who is the main contact?
Daniel Oviedo, daniel.oviedo@ucl.ak.uk
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
34 Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9EZ
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-5692-6633 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0) 20 7679 2000 |
| daniel.oviedo@ucl.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Multicenter longitudinal observational case-control study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Case-control study |
| Study setting(s) | Built environment/local authority, School |
| Study type | Other, Quality of life |
| Participant information sheet | No participant information sheet available |
| Scientific title | Effect of Active Mobility Interventions to and from School on Physical Activity and Mental Well-being in Adolescents (10-16 y/o) in Bogotá, Colombia, and Maputo, Mozambique: A Multicultural Evaluation |
| Study acronym | OWS project |
| Study objectives | Our research hypothesises that, despite not having been envisioned as public health policies, AMTS interventions contribute to enhancing healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being among secondary-school adolescents, and help reduce common non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, especially in underserved urban communities in low and middle-income countries. This is the case of programmes such as ‘Al colegio en bici’ and ‘Ciempiés Caminos Seguros’ implemented in Bogotá, Colombia. Against this backdrop, innovative citizen science methods can enrich current practices in implementation research, both in terms of measuring implementation outcomes and the impact on physical activity and mental well-being of interventions involving active mobility to and from school. Furthermore, by questioning these interventions from a health impact perspective and a life course approach with a focus on adolescence, we contend that it is possible to strengthen existing local governance capacities for both implementation and impact assessment related to healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being in disadvantaged populations. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
1. Approved 07/06/2024, UCL Research Ethics Committee (Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; +44 (0) 20 7679 2000; ethics@ucl.ac.uk), ref: 27243/001 2. Approved 25/01/2024, Comité de Ética Facultad de Medicina +Universidad de Los Andes (Cra 1 este # 18a- 40, Bogotá, 111171, Colombia; +576 (0)13394949; eticamedicina@uniandes.edu.co), ref: 2023121234 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Improvement of physical activity levels and mental well-being in adolescents |
| Intervention | This study is a multicenter longitudinal observational case-control study structured using the Updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research that aims to evaluate the acceptability and impact of active mobility to and from school (AMTS) programs for promoting healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being among secondary school adolescents aged 10 to 16 in Bogotá, Colombia, and Maputo, Mozambique. In Bogotá, Colombia, the study will focus on assessing the acceptability, health and equity impacts of two AMTS programs – Al colegio en bici (cycling) and Ciempiés Caminos Seguros (walking). These two programs have been implemented in some schools throughout Bogotá and will expand to other schools. For this reason, first, we will understand the history, context, appropriateness, and acceptability of implementing the programs using semi-structured interviews and policy analysis. This assessment will be coordinated by professors in the UK and Colombia and provided by urban policy and development experts. Second, we will assess the health and equity impacts of the two programs a case-control study in Bogotá using multiple quantitative and qualitative methods. The study is designed to consider participants from three main groups for each AMTS program: an intervention group that will start with the program shortly after our baseline data gathering, a control group that will not have access to the AMTS being studied during the study time, and a second intervention group, which has been exposed to the AMTS for at least 6 months. The participants for each group belong to different schools to avoid data contamination. The objectives include measuring the impact of cycling and walking on healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being in secondary school adolescents. New intervention groups and control groups will be measured two times: at baseline time (before the intervention) and 8 weeks after the program's implementation. Already intervened groups will be measured once in the middle of the first school semester. The qualitative and quantitative assessments will be coordinated by experts in citizen science, physical activity, transport, and mental well-being and will be provided by a team of pollsters trained specifically for the study. In Maputo, Mozambique, the study will assess the acceptability of one AMTS pilot at a school. Baseline physical activity and mental well-being will measured as health and equity indicators. The instruments for data collection will be the same as those used in Bogotá, including both the qualitative and quantitative components. The measurement will consist of 20 children. semi-structured interviews and policy analysis will be used to assess the acceptability of the program. The instruments and methodologies for assessing physical activity and mental well-being in Bogotá and Maputo are the following: Citizen science through the Our Voice methodology to understand the barriers and facilitators to use active mobility to and from school and the change over those key aspects once an AMTS is implemented. The Our Voice methodology can be found in the following URL (https://med.stanford.edu/ourvoice.html). The following quantitative instruments will be used to assess the possible impact on physical activity, healthy behavior, and mental well-being after implementing each AMTS: 1. The OWS survey that contains: 1.1. GAC-PAQ and PA CO sociodemographic questions 1.2. The preference-based measure of health-related quality of life questionnaire from CHU9D; well-being questions used from the WHO well-being index and personal well-being index 1.3. Physical activity and sedentary behaviors questions gathered from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, BREQ, and ISCOLE study; Diet questionnaire from HBSC 1.4. Transport-related questions gathered from PACO study, HBSC study, PACES scale, MARA study, and self-developed questions. 2. E4 wristband biosensors for detecting stress-related built environment barriers during the trip 3. GT3X+ BT actigraph accelerometers for assessing physical activity |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Mental well-being measured using the preference-based measure of health-related quality of life questionnaire the Child Health Utility instrument (CHU9D), the WHO Well-Being Index and the Personal Well-Being Index at baseline and follow-up for all the participants 2.The built environment measured using Our Voice: citizen science participation using the Discovery Tool app developed by Stanford University and through a questionnaire at baseline and follow-up data collection time 3. Acceptability of the program measured using semi-structured interviews at baseline and follow-up. |
| Secondary outcome measures | There are no secondary outcome measures |
| Overall study start date | 15/06/2022 |
| Completion date | 30/06/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 8 Years |
| Upper age limit | 16 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 150 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Current inclusion criteria as of 07/06/2024: 1. Adolescents aged from 8 to 16 years old 2. Study in one of the selected schools to assess 3. Are not planning to move to another school in the next year 4. For participants in the intervention groups, participants should be part of the program to evaluate 5. Have no cognitive impairment 6. Parents allow participation on the study Previous inclusion criteria: 1. Adolescents aged from 10 to 16 years old 2. Study in one of the selected schools to assess 3. Are not planning to move to another school in the next year 4. For participants in the intervention groups, participants should be part of the program to evaluate 5. Have no cognitive impairment 6. Parents allow participation on the study |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Out of age range 2. Do not study in one of the selected schools 3. Is planning to leave the school during the year 4. Parents do not allow the participation 5. Do not participate in the programs to evaluate for the intervention group |
| Date of first enrolment | 15/03/2024 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/06/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Colombia
- Mozambique
Study participating centres
Bogotá
111171
Colombia
Maputo
1102
Mozambique
Sponsor information
University/education
34 Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9EZ
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)20 7679 1111 |
|---|---|
| dpu@ucl.ac.uk | |
| Website | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/development/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/02jx3x895 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Private sector organisation / International organizations
- Alternative name(s)
- GACD
- Location
- United Kingdom
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), UK Medical Research Council, MRC
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 30/06/2026 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| Publication and dissemination plan | We plan to publish the protocol of the study, as well as research papers regarding the mail outcomes in Bogotá and Maputo. We will also publish two policy briefs in Spanish and Portuguese for the stakeholders and community over Bogotá and Maputo. Finally, we will hold two results dissemination seminars. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during the current study will be anonymized and shared only with project team members, once they have signed a confidentiality agreement. The dataset is not expected to be made available due to sensitive information gathered through the measurement intruments. |
Editorial Notes
07/06/2024: The following changes were made to the study record:
1. Ethics approval details added.
2. The overall study start date was changed from 05/02/2023 to 15/06/2022.
3. The recruitment start date was changed from 05/02/2024 to 15/03/2024.
4. The inclusion criteria were updated.
29/01/2024: Study's existence confirmed by UKRI Medical Research Council.
