The effect of active breaks on cognitive performance and classroom behaviour: the I-move study

Abstract Background Active Breaks (ABs) intervention involves short bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) conducted during or between curricular lessons by the appropriately trained teachers. The aim of the Imola Active Breaks Study (I-MOVE study) was to evaluate the effect of an ABs intervention on cognitive function and classroom behaviour in primary school children. Methods The study was quasi-experimental, and it involved two groups attending a primary school in Imola (Bologna, Italy). The Active Breaks group (ABsG) performed the I-MOVE protocol consisting in 10 minutes of ABs divided in warm up, tone-up with high intensity interval training and cool-down. This is repeated three times a day for one year and half. The control group (CG) continued with regular lessons. The baseline assessment was conducted in October 2019 and the follow-up in May 2021. Cognitive performance was assessed using working memory test and classroom behaviour was monitored using an “ad hoc questionnaire”. Results Working memory performance increased significantly more in the ABsG (change: 1.30±1.17) than in CG (0.96±1.20), p < 0.05. Almost the entire sample of the children wanted to continue with this intervention in the next following year. Children reported improvements in their school-life quality, including feeling better in class (75.40%) and in school (82.50%) when using ABs. Improvements were also reported in children time-on-task behaviours: 52.90% said they work easily in class, 52.90% that they could listen more clearly, 58.80% reported they can stay seated easily, and 59.60% that they learned better and were more focused after ABs. Conclusions In conclusion the program has proven to be very effective on the children's cognitive improvement and classroom behaviour. Since the ABs intervention demonstrates these positive effects, its implementation in schools can have a beneficial, sustainable and long-term impact on childhood health. Key messages • ABs intervention represents a cost-effective strategy to be implemented in the school settings regardless of the age and sex differences, to make the school a more dynamic environment. • Despite the pandemic difficulties, the ABs intervention proved to be sustainable, and to have a positive effect on classroom behaviour by improving children’s concentration and attention in class.

In 2019, Sars-Cov-2 caused the greatest pandemic the modern world has ever faced.The pandemic was unprecedented regarding its effects on all aspects of society.Since the outbreak, debates on vaccines have been elevated in public health.The pandemic also emerged into a game changer regarding health communication and information delivery.With digital communication technologies, the Internet and Social Media being the most important tools to discuss health matters, exchange health knowledge and get advice from peers, every human has been part of a global communication network discussing the pandemic, related policies and vaccines.The digital realm allowed everybody to contribute to the state of Covid-19 related health information and absorb them.Altogether, this led to an overabundance of accurate and false information circulating the digital world, which culminated into the information epidemic (infodemic).Early on in the pandemic, it became obvious that people need competencies enabling them to navigate digital information environments, manage (digital) health information and to use digital health services that were accelerated through Covid-19.While health literacy and vaccine literacy were undervalued at the time, policy makers and practitioners soon highlighted their critical role in mitigating the spread of coronavirus, for protection against infection and increasing adherence to public health emergency measures.In context of the Covid-19 pandemic, health literacy enables people to find, understand and critically appraise relevant information and use it for prevention behaviour.Since it empowers individuals to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, health literacy is seen as a social vaccines.Vaccine literacy is a sub-dimension about health literacy, which especially became important when global roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines began in 2021.Vaccine literacy helps people to understand what a vaccine is, why it is relevant to get vaccinated and how it protects oneself and others.In addition, vaccine literacy empowers people to find vaccinerelated information and judge about vaccine claims.The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss research findings on health literacy and vaccine literacy in relation to Covid-19, the determinants of vaccine acceptance, vaccine hesitancy and vaccine attitudes, generated in different European studies: (1) the international trend study HLS-Covid-19 conducted in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, (ii) HLCA-Kids-NRW on coronavirus-specific health literacy in primary schoolchildren (Germany) and (iii) the HLS19 European Health Literacy Survey.While the roundtable aims at introducing empirical findings, each panelist will provide a statement related to the roundtable theme based on the findings of their study.Together with the audiences, we will discuss about lessons learned from the pandemic and how to utilize health and vaccine literacy to increase vaccine acceptance.

Background:
Active Breaks (ABs) intervention involves short bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) conducted during or between curricular lessons by the appropriately trained teachers.The aim of the Imola Active Breaks Study (I-MOVE study) was to evaluate the effect of an ABs intervention on cognitive function and classroom behaviour in primary school children.

Methods:
The study was quasi-experimental, and it involved two groups attending a primary school in Imola (Bologna, Italy).The Active Breaks group (ABsG) performed the I-MOVE protocol consisting in 10 minutes of ABs divided in warm up, tone-up with high intensity interval training and cool-down.This is repeated three times a day for one year and half.The control group (CG) continued with regular lessons.The baseline assessment was conducted in October 2019 and the follow-up in May 2021.Cognitive performance was assessed using working memory test and classroom behaviour was monitored using an ''ad hoc questionnaire''.

Results:
Working memory performance increased significantly more in the ABsG (change: 1.30AE1.17)than in CG (0.96AE1.20), p < 0.05.Almost the entire sample of the children wanted to continue with this intervention in the next following year.Children reported improvements in their school-life quality, including feeling better in class (75.40%) and in school (82.50%) when using ABs.Improvements were also reported in children time-on-task behaviours: 52.90% said they work easily in class, 52.90% that they could listen more clearly, 58.80% reported they can stay seated easily, and 59.60% that they learned better and were more focused after ABs.

Conclusions:
In conclusion the program has proven to be very effective on the children's cognitive improvement and classroom behaviour.Since the ABs intervention demonstrates these positive effects, its implementation in schools can have a beneficial, This study aimed to examine potential risk and protective factors for binge drinking among a cohort of 15-16-year-old adolescents in the West of Ireland.This study was a crosssectional secondary analysis of 4,473 15-16-year-olds who participated in the 2020 Planet Youth survey.Binge drinking was defined as ever consumption of five or more drinks in a two-hour period or less.Data were analysed using SPSS version 27.Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine independent associations between potential risk and protective factors and binge drinking.A p-value of < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.The prevalence of binge drinking among participants was 34.1%.Female gender (aOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.46-0.67,p < 0.001) and non-White ethnicity (aOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.31-0.77,p = 0.002) were associated with reduced odds of ever binge drinking.Selfrated 'bad/very bad' mental health (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.26-2.06,p < 0.001), current cigarette use (aOR 4.06, 95% CI 3.01-5.47,p < 0.001) and current cannabis use (aOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.80-4.31,p < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of ever binge drinking.Parental supervision (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.88,p < 0.001) and negative parental reaction to adolescent drunkenness (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.42-0.61,p < 0.001) reduced the odds of ever binge drinking among participants.Getting alcohol from parents was associated with increased odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.42-2.25,p < 0.001).Adolescents with friends who drink alcohol had almost 5 times higher odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 4.59,p < 0.001).Participating in team sports was also associated with increased odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.07-1.57,p = 0.008 for 1-4 times/week, aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.07-2.16,p = 0.020 for !5 times/week).This study highlights key influences of adolescents' social environment on their binge drinking, and a need for renewed public health efforts to protect adolescents from alcoholrelated harm.

Key messages:
This study identified a high prevalence of ever binge drinking among adolescents in the West of Ireland -this is highly concerning as adolescents are vulnerable to alcoholrelated harm.This study identified factors in the social environment of adolescents associated with binge drinking.This can inform public health action to protect adolescents from alcoholrelated harm.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.520Video game addiction among Tunisian adolescents in Sousse: A cross-sectional study in high schools

Background:
Addiction to video games is a theme regularly mentioned and associated with the risks that concern adolescents.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of video game addiction (VGA) among adolescents and identify its associated factors.

Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study within public high schools, in Sousse, Tunisia in 2019.The target population was high school students.A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data about sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and mental health disorders, and we used the 21-item Game Addiction Scale to objectify video game addiction.Statistical analysis was carried out using the program SPSS v.20.

Results:
A total of 1342 participants were recruited for the study,36.8% of whom were boys.The average age was 17.5 AE1.44 years.The analysis of mental health disorders showed that 67% were anxious, 66.8% were alexithymic, 65.4% were depressed and 39% had low self-esteem.The analysis of lifestyle behaviors showed that a lack of physical activity was reported by 57.6% of participants.Problematic use of the Internet (>2 hours per day) was reported among 72.4% of the students.The prevalence of video game addiction was 13%.Boys were more prone to be addicted than girls (66.2% versus 33.8%, p < 0.001).!17 years old students had a higher rate of VGA than those aged<17 years old (57.3% vs 42.7%, p = 0.031).VGA was higher among students who follow the non-scientific study section (69.4%, p = 0.007).Students who had moderate depression had the highest percentages of VGA (35.7%, p = 0.005).Students who had problematic use of the internet were more addicted to video games (80.3%) than those not having problematic use (19.7%), p = 0.009.

Conclusions:
This study allowed us to identify the students who are vulnerable to VGA.Also, a huge responsibility is accorded to school staff and parents to tackle this health problem by sensitizing their children and setting up some protective family rules.

Key messages:
Several factors were significantly associated with video game addiction, especially problematic internet use.