PMID 32357869

Research
All papers

Identifying facilitators and barriers for adolescents participating in a school-based HIIT intervention: the eXercise for asthma with commando Joe's(R) (X4ACJ) programme

Sharp CA, McNarry MA, Eddolls WTB, Koorts H, Winn CON, Mackintosh KA

Question

What helped or hindered adolescent participation in a before/after-school HIIT program?

Summary

This qualitative study asked adolescents about a 6-month school HIIT program. Games, enjoyment, competition, and visible benefits helped participation, while timing, competing interests, disruptive peers, instructor style, repetition, and sessions feeling too hard were barriers.

Methodology

  • Eighty adolescents from one South Wales secondary school intervention group.
  • 80 participants.
  • School-based HIIT games/exercises.
  • Intensity: High-intensity interval training; exact target not reported.
  • 30 minutes.
  • 3 sessions/week.
  • 6 months.
  • Qualitative focus-group process study
  • Facilitators, Barriers, and Tolerability were tracked.

Outcomes

Enjoyment

Enjoyment helped attendance, but many non-attendees did not enjoy sessions.

Enjoyment: 72% attendees, 48% non-attendees; 32% non-attendees did not enjoy.

Mixed

Games

Game features were the strongest facilitator.

Reported by 81% of attendees and 52% of non-attendees.

Improved

Barriers

Timing, competing interests, peers, instructor style, repetition, and excessive challenge limited participation.

Timing barrier around 50% attendees and 41% non-attendees; competing interests 42% and 48%.

Mixed

Insights

  • For youth, games and variety may matter more than abstract health-benefit education.
  • Before/after-school timing and peer dynamics can determine attendance.

Limitations

  • Qualitative focus-group study from one school.
  • Self-selection and social desirability bias possible.
  • Exact HIIT protocol and safety monitoring not fully reported.
  • No instructor interviews.

Safety

  • No adverse events were reported in this focus-group article.
  • Safety/tolerability concerns appeared as participant experience barriers: some adolescents felt sessions were too challenging or that the instructor pushed too hard; formal AE monitoring was not described.