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Mixed PE Program Using Sports Games and Ball Sports in Left-Behind Children

NCT07452302 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-03-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether a 12-week school-based physical education program that combines cooperative sports games and ball sports can improve mental health and physical fitness in rural left-behind children. Left-behind children are those who remain in rural areas while one or both parents migrate for work. These children may experience social and emotional challenges in addition to physical health concerns.

Forty sixth-grade boarding students who met the criteria for left-behind children were randomly assigned to either a mixed training group or a usual physical education control group. The intervention was delivered during regular school physical education classes three times per week, 90 minutes per session, for 12 weeks. Each session included cooperative physical games designed to promote peer interaction, followed by structured soccer or basketball training activities.

Mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Test (MHT), and physical fitness was evaluated using standardized school-based tests including lung function, running performance, flexibility, and coordination. Outcomes were measured before and after the intervention.

The study aims to determine whether optimizing the structure of routine school physical education can provide a feasible and scalable strategy to support both psychological well-being and physical development in vulnerable child populations.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mixed Physical Education Program

Participants received a structured 12-week school-based physical education program delivered three times per week (90 minutes per session). Each session included a cooperative sports game component (20-25 minutes) designed to promote peer interaction and social engagement, followed by structured soccer or basketball training (55-60 minutes) with progressive skill development and small-sided games. Exercise intensity was staged to achieve approximately 60-85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate. The intervention was implemented within the regular school physical education curriculum.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual Physical Education

Participants followed the standard school physical education curriculum for 12 weeks, consisting primarily of calisthenics and general physical fitness activities. The curriculum did not include structured cooperative sports games or systematic soccer or basketball training as provided in the experimental intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Anhui Normal University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
12 Years
Max Age
13 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-09-01
Primary Completion
2026-01-09
Completion
2026-01-09

Countries

  • China

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07452302 on ClinicalTrials.gov