O.4.6-11 MOVEOUT: a cluster randomised wait list design to investigate the effect of education outside the classroom on pupil’s physical activity

PURPOSE: Education outside the classroom (EOtC) is a physical activity (PA)-integrating pedagogical approach that aligns PA with the primary goals of schools and is therefore thought to present an acceptable, feasible, and efficacious model for school-based PA. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an EOtC intervention that aims to increase adolescents’ (ages 10-16 years) school-based and overall PA by providing a course on the pedagogical and didactic methods of EOtC to teachers across 30 Danish schools, and subsequently the teachers implementing EOTC in their classes > 5 hours weekly over the course of one school year. We expect that pupils in the intervention group will retain higher PA intensities compared to the control group, specifically 1a) more MVPA, 1b) more LPA, 1c) less SED time. Further, we hypothesise that pupils in the intervention group will retain 2a) more running, 2b) more walking, 2c) more standing, 2d) less sitting time compared to the control group. METHODS: The intervention was evaluated using a cluster randomised wait list study comparing PA behaviours amongst pupils in the intervention group with pupils in the waitlist control group. RESULTS: In this presentation, we will present novel results from data that is currently underway. Data collection is expected to be finalised in June 2023. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 20% of Danish schools practice some form of EOtC, and the findings of this study will inform whether such practice should be further encouraged in Denmark and elsewhere, or whether alterations are required to support more pupils in meeting PA recommendations. The findings have important implications for school-based PA promotion. Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant no. 0062703), ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT number: NCT05237674). Peter Elsborg and Lærke Mygind share first-authorship.