Main objective: To evaluate the effect of the school health program "Soc la Lola" compared to a program focused exclusively on preventing sedentary lifestyles in school-aged children. The primary aim is to assess the improvement in knowledge related to pain science and the reduction of fear-avoidance beliefs toward physical activity in primary school students aged 8 to 11 years.
Secondary objectives: To identify personal and socio-demographic factors that influence the acquisition of knowledge in pain science and the reduction of fear-avoidance beliefs towards physical activity in primary school students aged 8 to 11 years.
Design:
This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) compares the effectiveness of a new school health program in improving pain science knowledge and reducing fear-avoidance beliefs toward physical activity.
Participants and Sample:
Participants will be recruited from educational centers affiliated with the CFC schools health project. Informed consent from parents or guardians is required. Physiotherapists conducting the interventions will have completed specific training for the program.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Boys and girls aged 8 to 11 years, in 3rd or 4th year of primary school.
- Enrollment in schools affiliated with the CFC project.
- Signed informed consent from parents/guardians.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Failure to meet inclusion criteria.
- Insufficient reading comprehension in Catalan or Spanish.
- Unwillingness to participate.
Intervention Procedure and Randomization:
Parents will attend an informative meeting, and students will be briefed on the study a week before its start. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control group (CG) or intervention group (IG).
- Intervention Group (IG): Participates in the "Soc la Lola" program, which uses a comic to teach pain science and sedentary behavior prevention.
- Control Group (CG): Attends the "Stop Sedentarism" session focused on preventing sedentary behavior without addressing pain science.
The same physiotherapist will deliver the sessions for both groups, and data collection will be managed by another team member. A single-blind design ensures the evaluator is unaware of group assignments, with only the principal investigator having access to encrypted participant data
Both groups demonstrated positive outcomes, with reductions in fear-avoidance beliefs regarding physical activity (CG: p=0.012, d=0.59; IG: p=0.025, d=0.50) and improvements in pain-related knowledge (CG: p=0.002, rB=0.32; IG: p=0.017, rB=0.32). No significant differences were observed between the groups. However, a correlation was noted between the prevalence of pain in children and that of their cohabitants.
Despite the positive outcomes, it is necessary to review the questionnaires used due to their complexity and length. Additionally, studying the long-term effects is recommended.
School health programs are part of primary and community care services. Their updates are necessary, as is the continuation of research.
School Health Programs
Pain Neuroscience Education
