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Effectiveness of the Walking in ScHools (WISH) Study, a peer-led walking intervention for adolescent girls: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial
Murphy, Marie H. O'Kane, S. Maria Carlin, Angela Doherty, Leanne C. Jago, Russell McDermott, Gary Faulkner, Maria Gallagher, Alison M.
Murphy, Marie H.
O'Kane, S. Maria
Carlin, Angela
Doherty, Leanne C.
Jago, Russell
McDermott, Gary
Faulkner, Maria
Gallagher, Alison M.
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Epub Date
Issue Date
2024-02-19
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Abstract
Background: Most adolescent girls fail to meet current physical activity guidelines. Physical activity behaviours track from childhood into adulthood and providing adolescent girls with opportunities to be physically active may have health benefits beyond childhood. The effects of walking interventions on adult cardiometabolic health are known, however less is understood about the potential of walking to promote physical activity in adolescents. Following the Walking In ScHools (WISH) feasibility study, this definitive trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel, low-cost, school-based walking intervention at increasing physical activity levels of adolescent girls (aged 12–14 years). Methods: Female pupils were recruited from eighteen schools across the border region of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. In intervention schools (n = 9), girls aged 15–18 years, were trained as walk leaders, and led the younger pupils in 10–15 min walks before school, at break and lunch recess. All walks took place in school grounds and pupils were encouraged to participate in as many walks as possible each week. The primary outcome measure was accelerometer determined total physical activity (counts per minutes, cpm). Results: In total, 589 pupils were recruited to the study. At baseline, pupils engaged in a median (interquartile range (IQR)) 35.7 (21.2) mins moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day and only 12% (n = 66) of participants met physical activity guidelines (60 min MVPA per day). The intervention was delivered for a mean (standard deviation (SD)) 19.9 ± 0.97 weeks. The mean post-intervention total physical activity for the intervention group was 676 cpm and 710 cpm in the control group. Post-intervention total physical activity did not statistically differ between groups when adjusted for age, body mass index z-scores and baseline physical activity (mean difference, -33.5, 95% CI = -21.2 to 88.1; p = 0.213). Conclusions: ‘Scaling-up’ physical activity interventions is challenging and despite a promising feasibility study, the results of this fully powered trial suggest that in this context, the WISH intervention did not increase device measured physical activity. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, school environments have changed and although pupils enjoyed the programme, attendance at walks was low, indicating that there is a need to better understand how to implement interventions within schools. Trial registration: ISRCTN; ISRCTN12847782; Registered 2nd July 2019.
Citation
Murphy, M.H., O’Kane, S.M., Carlin, A. et al. Effectiveness of the Walking in ScHools (WISH) Study, a peer-led walking intervention for adolescent girls: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21, 19 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01563-0
Publisher
Research Unit
PubMed ID
38374037 (pubmed)
PubMed Central ID
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Type
Journal article
Language
en
Description
© 2024 The Authors. Published by BMC. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01563-0
Series/Report no.
ISSN
1479-5868
EISSN
1479-5868
ISBN
ISMN
Gov't Doc #
Sponsors
The WISH study is funded from INTERREG VA funding of €8.84 m (including 15% contribution from the Department of Health in NI and Republic of Ireland), which had been awarded to the HSC Research & Development Division of the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland and to the Health Research Board in Ireland for the Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN) project.
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Licence for published version: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International