The ATLAS (Active Teen Leaders Avoiding Screen-time) and NEAT (Nutrition and Enjoyable Activity for Teens) school-based health-related fitness programmes for adolescents

ATLAS and NEAT are two multi-component school-based physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions originally designed for and evaluated among low-income adolescent boys and girls, respectively. The original 'ATLAS' and 'NEAT Girls' programs included multiple components that could not be disseminated in a cost effective manner. Therefore, the intervention strategies and materials have been revised for sustainability and delivery without the support of the research team. Although the original ATLAS and NEAT programs targeted the same outcomes (i.e., both were obesity prevention programs targeting key weight-related behaviours), there were a number of key differences in regards to the selected intervention strategies. Consequently, the revised versions of ATLAS and NEAT have been amended to be identical in terms of the structure and intervention components used. The key difference between the revised versions of ATLAS and NEAT is the gender-targeting strategies which aim to engage and motivate adolescent boys and girls, respectively, in each program. Although the efficacy of each of these programs has previously been evaluated, the evaluation was conducted among culturally homogenous study samples demonstrating risk-factors for obesity and related health concerns (i.e., low-active, high screen-based sedentary time). In light of this, and in recognition of the modifications made to the programs, there is a need to further evaluate the efficacy of the ATLAS and NEAT programs among a representative sample of adolescents prior to dissemination. The trial will involve the evaluation of the revised ATLAS and NEAT school-based health-related fitness programs using a cluster RCT design in sixteen public secondary schools (8 intervention and 8 control schools). Both programs (i.e., ATLAS and NEAT) will be delivered simultaneously at the study schools during the intervention period. The students will receive the intervention over 10 weeks, with the total duration of the intervention (i.e., from baseline assessments to final follow-up assessments) being 12-months. The revised ATLAS and NEAT programs will both include the following implementation strategies and intervention components: Implementation strategies: 1) Professional learning workshops for teachers: The research team will plan and deliver 1 full-day professional development workshop for 4 teachers at each of the intervention schools (2 PE teachers [1 male and 1 female] and 2 non-PE teachers [1 male and 1 female]). The workshop will occur in the school term prior to the commencement of the school sport sessions and will introduce teachers to the intervention aims and objectives. It will also focus on strategies to promote health-related fitness and physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour, and improve social and emotional well-being in adolescents. Teachers will be provided with opportunities to improve their confidence and competence to model and teach resistance training and fitness skills to students. The workshop will provide teachers with an introduction to the principles of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), embedded through the SAAFE (Supportive, Active, Autonomous, Fair and Enjoyable) teaching principles, which will be used to guide their teaching during their facilitation of the ATLAS and NEAT programs. 2) Provision of fitness equipment and session resources: Schools will be provided with an equipment pack for conducting health-related fitness activities during the enhanced school sport sessions. The equipment pack will include a class set of Gymsticks (i.e., elastic band resistance training devices), boxing gloves and focus pads, skipping ropes, agility ladders, and hanging gym handles for performing suspended resistance training exercises. In addition, each school will receive program resources including circuit and workout cards and a teacher handbook to assist with program planning and delivery. 3) Ongoing professional support: Members of the research team will observe four school sport sessions at each school over the study period (2 ATLAS sessions and 2 NEAT sessions). Teachers will be provided with constructive feedback and on-going professional support. This component will also be used to assess intervention fidelity (i.e., compliance with the intended sport sessions structure and adherence to the SAAFE teaching principles outlined during the pre-program professional learning workshop). Intervention components: 1) Interactive seminar for students: Participating students will attend 1 interactive seminar delivered by participating teachers at the study schools (30 minutes). The seminars will be delivered at the beginning of the program and will outline the key behavioural messages of the programs. In addition, the seminar will provide students with strategies to increase their physical activity, reduce their sedentary time and improve their nutrition. 2) Enhanced school sport sessions: Students will participate in 10 weeks of enhanced school sport (1 session/week for approx. 90 minutes). These sessions will be delivered by teachers and will include a range of vigorous physical activities designed to engage students and improve health-related fitness. Each session will include the following components: warm-up, resistance training skill development, high-intensity fitness challenge, small sided active games/yoga/Pilates/boxing fitness, and cool down. 3) Lunch-time physical activity sessions: Students will participate in 5 weeks of lunch-time physical activity sessions (1 session/ week for approx 20 minutes) during the second half of the program (i.e., the last five weeks). These sessions will be supervised by teachers but will be organised and led by students. The aim of these sessions is to provide students with the opportunity for more vigorous physical activity during the school week and to provide students with ownership and responsibility of their own physical activity. 4) Purpose-built smartphone applications: Two smartphone applications (1 for ATLAS and 1 for NEAT) will be provided to students free of charge at the commencement of the school sport sessions. The smartphone applications will be used for: (i) providing tailored informational and motivational messages; (ii) self-monitoring of physical activity; (iii) goal setting; (iv) conducting self-directed workouts; and (v) peer assessment of resistance training skills. Students will be provided with instructions on how to use the smartphone applications and will be encouraged to explore and use each of the features. However, there will be no explicit prescription for use of this component during the program. Engagement with the ATLAS and NEAT apps will be at the discretion of the participating students.