Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jul 28, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 7, 2026 - Oct 7, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Teacher-Led and Video-Guided Active Breaks in Primary Schoolchildren: Protocol for a Three-Arm Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Classroom-based active breaks may reduce sedentary time and create positive movement experiences in primary schoolchildren, but enjoyment of physical activity has rarely been selected as a primary outcome.
Objective:
The Pause, Learn and Activate Yourself (PLAY) trial aims to determine whether a 12-week active-break program improves physical activity enjoyment in primary schoolchildren and to evaluate effects on motor competence, physical activity, perceived motor competence, sleep, physical fitness, and anthropometric characteristics.
Methods:
PLAY is a three-arm, parallel, cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in primary school classes in the province of Pavia, Italy. Classes are allocated 1:1:1 to teacher-led active breaks, video-guided active breaks, or usual school routine. Active breaks last approximately 5 minutes and combine playful aerobic, coordinative, and muscle-strengthening activities during the school day. The primary outcome is change in the total Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale score from baseline to week 12. Secondary outcomes include motor competence, device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, perceived motor competence, device-measured sleep, physical fitness, and anthropometric characteristics. Mixed-effects models will estimate group-by-time effects while accounting for repeated observations and clustering of pupils within classes and schools. The primary analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle, with a per-protocol sensitivity analysis based on class-level adherence. The study was approved by the Comitato Etico Territoriale Lombardia 6 (45858/2025) and was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov before participant enrollment.
Results:
Recruitment began in March 2026 and has been completed. Data processing and analyses are ongoing. Primary results are expected to be reported in 2027.
Conclusions:
By comparing teacher-led and video-guided delivery with usual routine, PLAY will provide evidence on whether brief, scalable classroom movement opportunities can improve children’s enjoyment of physical activity and related health and motor outcomes. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07421128; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07421128
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