Effects of Volleyball Intervention on Health-related Fitness in Primary School Students

Effects of School-Based TGfU Volleyball Intervention on Physical Fitness and Body Composition in Primary School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

The goal of this study is to find out if doing a 16-week volleyball program integrated in physical education classes at school can make primary school students stronger, faster, and have better endurance. The study also wants to see whether the program can lead to changes in the students' body weight, body fat, and muscle mass.

Eighty-eight healthy primary school students (mean age 13.3 years) were randomized to a TGfU volleyball intervention group (VG) or a control group (CG). CG participants attended three regular physical education (PE) classes per week, while VG participants attended two regular PE classes and a TGfU volleyball intervention that was implemented in the third PE class. The main part of each volleyball intervention session was based on the "Teaching Games for Understanding" (TGfU) model. This approach emphasizes the development of fundamental skills and tactical understanding of the game by utilizing modified games, such as small-sided games and mini-volleyball. By using this method, participants are able to increase their interaction with the ball and engage in moderate-to-vigorous gameplay intensity more frequently. The primary study outcomes were assessed before and after the 16-week intervention for both VG and CG participants. The main hypothesis is that implementation of the TGfU volleyball intervention in the physical education curriculum will lead to greater improvement in body composition and physical fitness outcomes among seventh-grade primary school students compared to those who receive traditional physical education classes, demonstrating that this intervention can be an effective method for reducing adiposity and promoting physical fitness levels among adolescents.

Inclusion Criteria:

• seventh grade primary school students
• were not exempt from participating in physical education classes
• did not have any health conditions (pediatric disease, orthopedic conditions, injuries, respiratory or cardiovascular disease)
• voluntary participation
• obtained informed consent from parents or legal guardians

Exclusion Criteria:

• exempted from participating in physical education classes
• currently participating in other interventions
• the presence of acute or chronic infectious disease
• the presence of injury
• not able to attend all intervention sessions
• not obtaining informed consent from parents or legal guardians
• do not want to participate voluntary