RecruitingACTRN12614001064695

Stand Up for Health Project: Using a ‘whole room calorimeter’ to assess the effects of sitting on adolescents health

In adolescents aged 12-15 years, does a ‘reduced sitting’ school day, compared to a typical school day improve energy expenditure, cardio-metabolic health and cognitive outcomes?

Sponsor

University of Wollongong

Enrollment

20 participants

Start Date

Jul 19, 2014

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Sitting time Cardio-metabolic health indicators Cognition

Summary

The aim of the study is to assess how reducing adolescent sitting time affects adolescents’ energy levels, cardio-metabolic measures and their level of concentration. To accurately assess these outcomes, the study involves the use of the whole room calorimeter. The whole room calorimeter is a room around the size of an adolescent’s bedroom that measures the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production of the person inside. These measurements enable energy levels to be accurately measured. Research shows that adolescents spend more than 50% of their waking hours sitting. The total period of time they sit for per day is only slightly less than the total time the elderly (65 years and older) sit. Research involving adolescent sitting- time and health outcomes is limited. It has been reported that high levels of sitting are associated with lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, and higher levels of cholesterol, and body fat. Given the potential harmful effects of excessive sitting and that a large majority of an adolescent’s waking day is spent at school, it is important to understand how much more energy is expended if an adolescent sits for less total time during a typical school day. Currently adolescents spend approximately 240 minutes (4 hours) each day sitting during school time. This study plans to investigate a reduction in sitting time amongst adolescents during a typical day at school. It has the potential to improve the energy expenditure, which can impact health and developmental outcomes of adolescents. This study will provide the highest level of evidence available to move this research field forward, due to use of the University of Wollongong’s whole- room calorimeter, as it is the only one in Australia.

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 12 YearssMax Age: 15 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is looking at how reducing sitting time during a school day affects the health and energy of teenagers. Researchers will measure how much energy adolescents burn when they sit less, using a special room that measures breathing. This can help us understand how too much sitting at school affects young people's health and whether standing or moving more during the day makes a real difference. You may be eligible if: - You are between 12 and 15 years old - You are in good health with no medical conditions that affect energy use You may NOT be eligible if: - You are younger than 12 or older than 15 years old - You have a medical condition that affects energy levels or metabolism - You are claustrophobic (afraid of being in a small enclosed room) Talk to your doctor about whether this trial might be right for you.

This is a simplified summary. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

Adolescents will make three visits to the whole room calorimeter: Visit 1 – Initial familiarization with calorimeter and a discussion with parents and adolescents to start the process of consent. Parents and adolescents will be required to sign two consent forms; one for the study and a second if they consent to have their blood taken as part of the study. Activity monitors: Before entering the calorimeter, adolescents will be fitted with 7 activity monitors on 4 body sites. The adolescent will wear three GENEActiv monitors, three Actigraphs and one SenseWear Mini armband. distribution around the body, these devices have not inhibited movement during the activity protocol in our validation study in preschool children. The SenseWear Mini arm band is required to be worn for an additional 48 hours after Visit 2 and 3 of the calorimeter room. The participant and parent/guardian will be asked fill in an activity monitor log noting when this monitor is worn and not worn. Video – taping and direct observation will occur during Visits 2 and 3. This will be used to i) confirm compliance with protocol, ii) to code postures/activity types (e.g., sitting, standing, walking) against newly developed activity monitor data analysis approaches, so validation can occur. The order of visits 2 and 3 will be randomly allocated to each participant to minimize any ordering effect. As such, for some adolescents, they will complete the modified school day prior to the typical school day. There are two calorimeter rooms available at UOW. Both rooms will be used in this study. Visit 2 – (Simulated typical school day: 240mins of sitting). Participants will arrive 20 minutes prior to entering the calorimeter at 8am having fasted overnight. Participants who consent to have blood taken will have blood (total 20ml) drawn by an accredited phlebotomist prior to entering and immediately upon leaving the calorimeter to assess beneficial effect on total fatty acids, IL-6, blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), insulin and apolipoproteins A-1 and B-100. Trained personnel at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) will conduct the blood collection. In addition participants will have their height, weight (BMI), waist circumference, body fat and blood pressure measured. The participant will then be taken to the calorimeter room to begin their “Typical School Day”. A standard breakfast will be consumed half an hour after the participant has entered the chamber to allow collection of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) data beforehand. A standard lunch will be provided 2.5 hours after breakfast (3 hours prior to final blood collection). Participants will then spend 240 minutes out of 6 hours sitting, undertaking tasks that they normally would as part of a typical school day. Visit 3 – (Simulated modified school day- approx 50% less sitting time equating to 117 mins). This will be identical to Visit 2 except that participants will sit for 50% less time (120 minutes) and replace this with 50% more time spent in light-intensity activity such as standing and light moving (e.g., shuffling, slow walking. Visit 2 and 3 Height and weight, body fat, waist circumference and blood pressure will be conducted prior to entering and immediately upon leaving the calorimeter at both Visits 2 and 3. While the participants are in the calorimeter they will complete a test of executive function will be measured using the Figural Intersections Task (a measure of working memory and attentional capacity). To understand if participants compensate for sitting less and engaging in more light-intensity PA by being less active afterwards, we will ask participants to wear a sensewear mini arm band for 48 hours after Visits 2 and 3. The Sensewear Mini will be used to assess Energy Expenditure over the 48 hour period immediately following Visits 2 and 3. Participants will also be asked to fill in a one-page log that indicates when the accelerometer was worn or not worn (e.g. removed for showering). To assess whether participants compensate for less sitting by increasing their energy intake, we will ask participants to complete a 24hr food diary after Visit 2 and 3 to the calorimeter. This will allow the estimation of total intake of food, beverages, food energy, nutrients and non-nutrient food components consumed.