Short active breaks to boost thinking, creativity, and wellbeing in 11–12-year-olds
Official title: Active-breaks, Learning, Creativity and Emotional Health in Preadolescent Students (ACTISTOP)
Run by Universitat Jaume I · NCT07538453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see if 10-minute active breaks during the school day help 11–12-year-old children improve attention, working memory, creativity, and emotional wellbeing after demanding classroom tasks.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 11 Years to 12 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 114 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Universitat Jaume I Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Castellon, Castellón) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 26, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 2026 |
| Study ends | June 2026 |
| Registry record updated | April 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07538453 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are 11–12-year-old students enrolled in 5th or 6th grade in Castellón who have progressed normally through school and have no diagnosed physical, neurological, cognitive, or psychiatric conditions.
✕Probably not a fit
Children with diagnosed learning difficulties, neurodevelopmental disorders, chronic medical or psychiatric conditions, those on long-term medication, or students outside the specified age/region may not benefit from or be eligible for the protocol tested here.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Children in 5th and 6th grade will be randomly assigned to a 10-minute aerobic break, a 10-minute strength-based break, or a seated control activity delivered in the classroom. Academic tasks will be given before the intervention to induce cognitive fatigue, and simple cognitive, creativity, and emotional-state measures will be collected at baseline, before, and after the break. Interventions follow a standardized warm-up, main activity, and cool-down and will be complemented by physical fitness assessments such as strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition. The design aims to reflect real classroom conditions and compare short active breaks against a seated low-demand control.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could provide a low-cost classroom tool to improve attention, creative thinking, and emotional wellbeing, potentially supporting better learning and daily functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Previous classroom-based active-break studies have generally shown modest improvements in attention and wellbeing, though effects on specific executive functions and creativity are mixed and not fully established.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Students enrolled in the 5th and 6th grades of primary education in the city of Castellón, with continuous academic progression and no history of grade retention. * Students without diagnosed physical, neurological, or cognitive disorders. Exclusion Criteria: * Students with a history of grade retention. * Students with diagnosed learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental disorders. * Students presenting any medical or psychiatric disease. * Students undergoing chronic pharmacological treatment.
Where it's running
-
Universitat Jaume I
Castellon, Castellón, Spain Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD — Universitat Jaume I
- Study coordinator: Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD
- Email: dmoliner@uji.es
- Phone: +34 964 729782
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.