The effects of physical activity behavior change program implemented with 5A model on physical and psychosocial health in school age children

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of physical activity behavior modification program, implemented using the 5A model, on the physical and psychosocial health of school-aged children. Material and methods: In this randomized controlled study, middle-school students with low levels of physical activity were included. Participants in the experimental group received behavior modification training based on the 5A model for 8 weeks to increase their physical activity levels. 24 participants completed the study in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. Participants' physical activity behavior, body composition, flexibility, functional capacity, anaerobic performance, muscle strength, quality of life, attitude towards physical activity, and neurocognitive functions were evaluated during the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up periods. Results: A significant increase in the physical activity level was observed in the experimental group after 8 weeks of training (p<0.05), and this physical activity level reached at week 24 was maintained. No significant change was observed in the physical activity level of the control group. A significant improvement in cognitive flexibility and executive function, which are neurocognitive functions, was observed in the education group (p<0.05), while no significant change was observed in physical health parameters (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that the 5A model is more effective than control group in developing and maintaining physical activity behavior in school-aged children. Although the training was found to have a positive impact on neurocognitive functions, its effect on physical health parameters was limited. Further research is required to evaluate this effect.