Active Breaks and Executive Function in Scholars
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age11-12
SponsorUniversitat Jaume I
About this trial
This study aims to examine whether short bouts of exercise (10 minutes) performed during the school day can improve thinking skills, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children. Specifically, children aged 11-12 years will be randomly assigned to perform either a short aerobic exercise break, a strength-based exercise break, or a seated control activity. The study will evaluate how these 10 minutes activity breaks influence attention, working memory, creativity, and emotional wellbeing state after completing cognitively demanding tasks. The findings will help to identify effective strategies to integrate physical activity into the classroom to enhance learning and overall well-being in school settings.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Students enrolled in the 5th and 6th grades of primary education in the city of Castellón, with continuous academic progression and no history of grade retention.
Students without diagnosed physical, neurological, or cognitive disorders.
Disqualifiers
Students with a history of grade retention.
Students with diagnosed learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental disorders.
Students presenting any medical or psychiatric disease.
Students undergoing chronic pharmacological treatment.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Active Break
Other interventionA 10-min active break format was selected to maximize feasibility within school settings. All conditions followed an identical temporal structure consisting of a 1-min warm-up, an 8-min main activity phase, and a 1-min cool-down delivered through standardized instructional videos that guided students in reproducing and observing the correct technique and execution of the exercises.
Treatment groups
114 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Rest BreakNo intervention 0 interventions
Group B: Strength Active BreakExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Aerobic Active BreakExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Self-perceived emotional state
Assessed using a paper-based measure following the Russell's circumplex model of affect, which conceptualizes emotions according to two primary dimensions: activation level (0 = low to 10 = high) and well-being or happiness level (0 = low to 10 = high).
Time frame
Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).2
Executive Function
The Eriksen Flanker Task and forward and backward digit span tests will be administered online and in paper format, respectively.
Time frame
Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).3
Creativity
Guilford's divergent thinking test will be administered in paper format.
Time frame
Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).Secondary outcomes
1
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status will be assessed using the Family Affluence Scale III (FAS III), a self-reported questionnaire with higher scores indicating higher family affluence.
Time frame
Measured once (one-week before the intervention)2
Sleep Pattern
Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-reported questionnaire with a global score ranging from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.
Time frame
Measured once (one-week before the intervention)3
Self-reported Physical Fitness
Self-reported physical fitness will be assessed using the International Fitness Scale (IFIS), which evaluates overall fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, speed-agility, and flexibility using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very poor to 5 = very good), where higher scores indicate better perceived physical fitness.
Time frame
Measured once (one-week before the intervention)4
Diet Pattern
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet will be assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents (KIDMED), with scores ranging from -4 to 12, where higher scores indicate better adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Time frame
Measured once (one-week before the intervention)Other outcomes
1
Heart Rate
Monitored second-by-second during all three conditions using a Polar H10 monitor, which includes a chest strap.
Time frame
During the experimental condition, which will last 10 minutes.2
Rating of Perceived Exertion
Perceived exertion will be assessed using a child-adapted Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no exertion and 10 indicates maximal exertion, with higher scores reflecting greater perceived effort.
Time frame
During the experimental condition, which will last 10 minutes.Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov