New Technologies as a Tool for Health Promotion in Schoolchildren of Compulsory Secondary Education

New Technologies as a Tool for Health Promotion in Schoolchildren of Compulsory Secondary Education: Effects of Sports Technology Applications on the Physical and Psychological Health of Adolescents

The rapid development of new technologies could be one of the causes that has favored changes in the lifestyle habits of young people. Research carried out to date shows that new technologies could be useful in increasing levels of physical activity and motivation to practice sports. However, these studies have major limitations that make it difficult to generalize the results.

The objectives of the present project are: 1) to determine the influence of the use of new technologies on the levels of sports practice and the physical and psychological health of adolescents; 2) to analyze the effects of a physical-sports activity program that integrates new technologies through mobile applications related to physical exercise on the level of physical activity and the physical and psychological health of adolescents; and 3) to analyze the adherence that this type of program generates in the medium term in adolescents as a function of age and gender.

The project will be divided into two phases. In the first phase, 500 students from the centers of Compulsory Secondary Education will be included, who will undergo physical tests, questionnaires related to sports practice and physical and psychological health, and an anthropometric assessment. In the second phase, an intervention will be carried out with four experimental groups and a control group. The four experimental groups will use different technological applications outside school hours for 12 weeks. Participants will keep a weekly record of physical activity and pre-, post and re-test measurements will be taken to evaluate the efficacy of the sports technology applications in increasing and maintaining physical activity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be a student of compulsory secondary education
• Not present any disease or surgical operation that would prevent the performance of the physical tests or the follow-up of the established intervention.
• Complete the questionnaires provided and carry out the established tests in their entirety
• Have access to any mobile device that allows access to the technological sports applications used in the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failure to complete the questionnaires provided and/or to take the prescribed tests in their entirety
• Failure to complete scheduled intervention activities.