Project Spraoi: a strategy to improve nutrition and physical activity in schoolchildren

ISRCTN	ISRCTN92611015
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN92611015
Protocol serial number	N/A
Sponsor	Cork Institute of Technology (Ireland)
Funder	Cork Institute of Technology (Ireland)

Submission date: 17/11/2013
Registration date: 17/02/2014
Last edited: 27/09/2017

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Project Spraoi, based in Cork, is of vital importance to Ireland, as there are currently no initiatives that target at the same time physical activity, healthy eating and sedentary time amongst schoolchildren. Over half of Irish primary school age children do not achieve the recommended level of 60 minutes of physical activity per day and only 18% (16% boys; 20% girls) report eating vegetables twice or more daily. Such behaviours are unlikely to change as these children mature and, consequently, will contribute to rising health costs. According to the Department of Health, obesity alone indirectly costs the nation 0.4 billion per year. Project Spraoi is a 24-month whole-school health promotion intervention. It is derived from New Zealand's Project Energize and is adapted to an Irish setting. The programme includes provision of staff into schools to structure activity programmes that are aligned with the curriculum; and seeking opportunities to enhance nutritional intake. This study aims to determine whether Project Spraoi has had any positive impact on physical activity, nutritional knowledge/behaviours and long-term health parameters including body composition and blood pressure.

Who can participate
The project is designed for primary schools but also extends to childrens homes. Participants will be 5-6 year old and 10-11 year old children attending primary schools in Cork city and county.

What does the study involve?
The participating schools are randomly allocated to one of two groups: the intervention group or the control group. At the intervention group schools trained Energizers work with teachers to implement physical activity and nutrition initiatives. The control group schools continue their usual school curriculum. Children are evaluated, which involves taking measurements (blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, waist circumference, body fat, physical activity and fitness) at the beginning of the study and two years later. Parents/guardians are also asked to give consent and complete a written questionnaire.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Benefits include improvements in physical activity levels, nutritional behaviours and markers of health in schoolchildren. There are no risks of participating.

Where is the study run from?
Cork Institute of Technology and schools in in Cork city and county (Ireland)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2013 to June 2016

Who is funding the study?
Cork Institute of Technology (Ireland)

Who is the main contact?
Dr Tara Coppinger
tara.coppinger@cit.ie

Contact information

Dr Tara Coppinger
Scientific

Cork Institute of Technology
Dept of Sport, Leisure & Childhood studies
Rossa Ave
Bishopstown
Cork
NA
Ireland

ORCID ID	0000-0002-7251-4516
Email	tara.coppinger@cit.ie

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Secondary study design	Cluster randomised trial
Study type	Participant information sheet
Scientific title	Project Spraoi: a strategy to improve nutrition and physical activity in schoolchildren - a randomised controlled trial
Study objectives	It is hypothesised that improvements in: 1. Fitness, physical activity, nutritional knowledge/behaviour 2. Key long-term health parameters including body mass and blood pressure will be found in children attending intervention schools, compared to those attending control schools.
Ethics approval(s)	The Cork Institute of Technology Ethics Committee, October 2013
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Health promotion intervention for children attending primary schools in Cork city and county
Intervention	Schools are randomised to two groups: 1. Intervention group: Trained Energizers work with intervention schools to support teachers implement physical activity and nutrition initiatives. 2. Control group: Control schools do not receive any input from Energizers and continue their usual school curriculum.
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	1. Physical activity level and intensity measured via 7 day accelerometry (Actigraph) 2. Nutritional knowledge and behaviour measured via questionnaire Outcomes measured at baseline and 24 months (+/- 1-2 month/s)
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	1. Height measured using a Seca 213, portable stadiometer (Seca, Birmingham, UK) 2. Weight measured using a portable Tanita WB-110MA electronic scale (Tanita Corporation, Japan) 3. Body composition (percentage body fat, total lean and fat mass) measured using the Impedimed DF50, bioimpedence monitor (Queensland, Australia) (updated 13/09/2017: data not collected due to technical issues) 4. Waist circumference measured with anthropometric measuring tape 5. Blood pressure and pulse measured by Auto Blood Pressure Monitor T8, Omron Corporation, Tokyo, Japan 6. Aerobic fitness measured by a fitness test - 550 metre run 7. Household questionnaire completed by parent/guardian Outcomes measured at baseline and 24 months (+/- 1-2 month/s). In addition, height and weight measures at 6, 12 and 18 months +/- 2 weeks will be taken amongst the youngest (5-6 years old at baseline) age group.
Completion date	30/06/2016

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Other
Age group	Child
Lower age limit	5 Years
Upper age limit	11 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	342
Key inclusion criteria	1. School children aged 5-11 2. Written and informed consent and parental/guardian consent 3. Attending participating school
Key exclusion criteria	On ethical grounds, there will be no exclusion criteria for participants but potential confounders will be assessed when undertaking measurements, in direct consultation with class teachers/principals
Date of first enrolment	01/10/2013
Date of final enrolment	01/09/2015

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Ireland

Study participating centre

Cork Institute of Technology

Cork
NA
Ireland

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not expected to be made available
IPD sharing plan	The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to participant confidentiality.

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Protocol article	protocol	01/08/2016		Yes	No
Basic results		13/09/2017	27/09/2017	No	No
Participant information sheet	Participant information sheet	11/11/2025	11/11/2025	No	Yes

Additional files

ISRCTN92611015_BasicResults_13Sep17.pdf: Uploaded 27/09/2017

Editorial Notes

27/09/2017: IPD sharing statement added. The basic results of this trial have been uploaded as an additional file.
13/06/2017: Publication reference added.