From the field to the classroom: The role of sport in fostering children’s development and wellbeing

Last registered on June 28, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
From the field to the classroom: The role of sport in fostering children’s development and wellbeing
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011685
Initial registration date
June 27, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 28, 2023, 5:11 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Netherlands
Region
North-Holland

Primary Investigator

Name
Maddalena Totarelli
Affiliation
University of Amsterdam
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Giuseppe Sorrenti
PI Affiliation
University of Amsterdam
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-05-22
End date
2025-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education
Additional Keywords
Child development, health, sport, socio-emotional skills, academic performance
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Participation in sport activities is a potential but under-investigated driver of child development. This project evaluates whether the exposure of children from disadvantaged neighborhoods to sport-related activities, i.e., a class on healthy lifestyle and 1-year free access to sport facilities, has the potential to foster wellbeing, inclusion, and social skills.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Sorrenti, Giuseppe and Maddalena Totarelli. 2023. "From the field to the classroom: The role of sport in fostering children’s development and wellbeing." AEA RCT Registry. June 28. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11685-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention, called De Spelen, consists of sport-related activities targeted towards primary school kids. The project aims to evaluate the impact of this intervention on children's socio-emotional skills, well-being, and sports and healthy habits.
Intervention (Hidden)
The project, called De Spelen, focuses on boosting equal opportunities for children growing up in less advantaged areas in the Netherlands. Through a three-phase program, children are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The intervention consists of the following phases:

Phase 1: Life skills lesson - The purpose of this phase is to encourage children to adopt healthy habits like regular exercise, balanced diet and proper sleep. It consists of a 30-45 minute lecture given by teachers, following a brochure specifically designed for the project, on the importance of exercising regularly and eating healthy food.

Phase 2: Sports discovery journey – Children join a sports day at a unique sports location to try out different sports and exercises. The purpose of this phase is to expose children to a variety of physical activities and help them discover which sports they enjoy and excel in.

Phase 3: Effective follow-up – Through an extensive network, children are supported in continuing their sports practice by joining a sports club of their choice for free for one year. The purpose of this phase is to ensure that children maintain their engagement in physical activity beyond the event.

The project aims to assess the effectiveness of the intervention in providing children with the opportunity to cultivate healthy habits, acquire life skills, and enhance their confidence, thereby contributing to their overall development and well-being.
Intervention Start Date
2023-05-22
Intervention End Date
2024-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
- Attitude towards sport;
- Sport engagement and habits;
- Eating habits;
- Self-esteem;
- Grit;
- Cooperation;
- Patience;
- Interpersonal relationships.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
- (Cognitive skills: upon certain conditions to be verified with the schools)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The experimental design includes two treatment arms: a treatment group (TG) and a control group (CG).

1) TG: group of primary school children who will participate to De Spelen;
2) CG: group of primary school children who will continue with the usual school curriculum.
Experimental Design Details
Schools will be contacted and invited to participate in a project focused on promoting sports and healthy habits. Subsequently, a third party, in direct communication with the schools, will randomly assign them to either the treatment or control group. Students in the treatment group will actively engage in De Spelen, while students in the control group will follow their regular school curriculum schedule as usual.

The data collection consists of the following:

- A survey administered before the intervention (mid-May) to collect information on children's sport and eating habits, individual traits, interpersonal relationships, wellbeing and socio-emotional skills;

- A second survey will be administered approximately two weeks after De Spelen (end of June). The purpose of this survey is to gather information on the children's experiences during the program and assess any changes in their sport habits, interpersonal relationships, wellbeing and socio-emotional skills;

- Lastly, one year after De Spelen, children will be asked to complete a survey. The purpose of this survey is to assess any longer-term changes in the children's sport habits, interpersonal relationships, wellbeing, and socio-emotional skills.

The control group will not participate in the initial data collection phase prior to the intervention. Due to the relatively short period between the first and second data collection phases, we assume that the control group's responses will remain consistent throughout, and we do not expect any significant changes in their answers.

The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated by comparing the outcomes of the treatment group and the control group as measured by the before mentioned variables.

Randomization Method
Randomization done by a third party who is assigning schools to either control or treatment group.
Randomization Unit
School
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
400 children
Sample size: planned number of observations
400 children
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
200 students in the treatment arm and 200 in the control arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Economics & Business Ethics Committee (EBEC) at the University of Amsterdam
IRB Approval Date
2023-04-26
IRB Approval Number
EB-2169
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials