Generation Fit and Exerlearning With In the Groove

Obesity

Dance, Peers, middle school-based, feasibility

In middle schools participating in a statewide program called Take Time, we are randomizing youth to a 10-12 week intervention using the dance mat games on the Playstation2 (like Dance Dance Revolution). This program is testing feasibility of using the dance mats as a way to increase activity during the school day. We are using Groove Masters as a peer-mentored mechanism to keep track of the activity of youth in the intervention compared to the control group. Our main objective is increase in activity time.

We met with administrators and teachers and obtained consent and assent for this study. After assessing baseline measures (end-of-grade test scores, absenteeism, Pediatric Quality of Life, physical fitness, GEMS Activity Rating Scale, Dennison's measure of sedentary screen time, Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, BMI%ile, (with a small subset assayed for fasting lipids and glucose, with a smaller subset wearing ActiGraphs for objective measures of activity) we randomized to the intervention or control group. In our intervention, youth play a dance game at school called In the Groove, with the goal of 40 additional minutes each week of physical activity during the school hours. We will obtain change scores and compare the groups to find an effect size for future studies, this this proves acceptable and feasible in Maine schools.

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United States