Carlin 2018.
| Study characteristics | ||
| Methods | Study design: cluster‐RCT | |
| Participants |
School inclusion criteria: a convenience sample of schools in Northern Ireland School exclusion criteria: — Student inclusion criteria: all female pupils aged 11 to 13 years attending 6 post‐primary schools in Northern Ireland who were free from any medical condition that would limit their participation in a brisk walking intervention Student exclusion criteria: — Setting: school Age group: children/adolescents Gender distribution: females Country where trial was performed: Northern Ireland |
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| Interventions |
Intervention: brisk walking intervention consisting of structured 10– to 15‐minute walks spread across the school week before the first bell, at mid‐morning break, and at lunch time. Participants were instructed to attend at least 3 walking sessions/week and to increase the number of sessions that they attended to at least 5 walking sessions/week by Week 12 of the intervention. Walks were led by older pupils trained as walk leaders to ensure safety and intensity (i.e. at a pace sufficient to elicit moderate‐intensity PA). Walk leader training was facilitated by the research team at a lunchtime session and was informed by a PA coordinator from a local Health and Social Care Trust. Training was facilitated by a member of the research team and was delivered to walk leaders at a lunchtime session. Participants were provided with timetables of planned group walks, detailing start time and meeting location for each walk, and were given weekly verbal reminders by school staff and walk leaders to attend the walking sessions. Participants were provided with prompt cards from the research team containing general tips and advice in relation to brisk walking and information on setting goals. Schools were instructed to provide at least 2 walking sessions for participants to attend each day Comparator: continued with normal PA habits. Following completion of the intervention, all control schools were provided study resources to implement their own school‐based brisk walking programme Duration of intervention: 12 weeks Duration of follow‐up: 6 months Number of schools: 6 Theoretical framework: social cognitive theory |
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| Outcomes | Fitness BMI |
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| Study registration | NCT02871830 (retrospectively registered) | |
| Publication details |
Language of publication: English Funding: — Publication status: peer‐reviewed journal |
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| Stated aim for study | "The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of peer‐led brisk Walking In ScHools intervention (the WISH study) and to investigate the impact of participating in a 12‐week school‐based walking programme on schooltime PA and sedentary behaviour post‐intervention (week 12) and at follow‐up (6 months). The secondary aim was to examine the effects of the intervention on a range of health‐related outcome measures" | |
| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Quote from publication: "participants were randomly allocated by school, using a computer‐based random number generator to either receive the intervention or to act as controls" |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Low risk | Comment: randomisation completed after baseline measurement |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | High risk | Quote from publication: "blinding of schools and participants was not possible" |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | High risk | Quote from publication: "researcher responsible for data collection and analysis was not blinded to group allocation" |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Anthropometrics, Fitness | Low risk | Comment: very few missing data due to student absence on measurement day |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | High risk | Comment: protocol specifies total weekly PA as the primary outcome; only schooltime PA was reported |
| Cluster RCT ‐ Recruitment bias | Low risk | Comment: schools and students recruited before randomisation |
| Cluster RCT ‐ Baseline imbalance | High risk | Comment: no statistical comparison between groups [author communication] |
| Cluster RCT ‐ Loss of clusters | Low risk | Comment: no clusters lost |
| Cluster RCT ‐ Incorrect analysis | High risk | Comment: clustering not accounted for in analysis |