Trial reportBehavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)
Health-Promotion Intervention Increases Self-Reported Physical Activity in Sub-Saharan African University Students: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.
Trial report in Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physical activity measurement tools among college students in intervention studies: A systematic review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of health literacy interventions aimed to improve health gains of higher education students-a systematic review.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Recruiting and retaining young adults: what can we learn from behavioural interventions targeting nutrition, physical activity and/or obesity? A systematic review of the literature.Public health nutrition · 2021Pooled it
- Strategies and Measurement Tools in Physical Activity Promotion Interventions in the University Setting: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Predictive Effects of Waist Circumference-Related Anthropometric Measures on Body Mass Index in South African University Students.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Association between body mass index, demographics, and hypertension risk in South African university students.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Promoting Adolescent and Youth Health Through Physical Activity Initiatives and Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: The ARISE-NUTRINT and DASH Initiatives.International journal of public health · 2025Article
- Waist-based anthropometric measures and central adiposity-related comorbidities in children.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2024Article
- Physical fitness profile of primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2024Article
- The moderating effect of gender on physical activity participation and physical fitness in children.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2024Review
- The effect of Tabata-style functional high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health and physical activity in female university students.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
- Relationship between body composition and physical fitness of primary school learners from a predominantly rural province in South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2022Article
- The physical activity and health promotion activities of global university students: a review of reviews.Global health promotion · 2022Article
- Blood pressure profile of primary school children in Eastern Cape province, South Africa: prevalence and risk factors.BMC pediatrics · 2022Article
- Physical activity and sedentary behaviour of primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2022Article
- Family and school-based educational intervention on fruits and vegetable consumption of female students: Application of social cognitive theory.Journal of education and health promotion · 2022Article
- Trends in the Number of Behavioural Theory-Based Healthy Eating Interventions Inclusive of Dietitians/Nutritionists in 2000-2020.Nutrients · 2021Review
- Using Gamification and Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity and Related Social Cognition among Undergraduate Students in Shanghai, China.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
To evaluate the efficacy of a health-promotion intervention in increasing self-reported physical activity among university students in Sub-Saharan Africa. Randomly selected second-year students at a university in South Africa were randomized to an intervention based on social cognitive theory: health-promotion, targeting physical activity and fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption; or HIV risk-reduction, targeting sexual-risk behaviors. Participants completed assessments via audio computer-assisted self-interviewing pre-intervention and 6 and 12 months post-intervention. A total of 176 were randomized with 171 (97.2%) retained 12 months post-intervention. Generalized-estimating-equations analyses indicated that the health-promotion-intervention participants were more likely to meet physical-activity guidelines than were control participants, post-intervention, adjusting for pre-intervention physical activity (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.33-8.41). Health-promotion participants reported a greater number of days they did vigorous-intensity (risk ratio [RR] = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.43-2.83) and moderate-intensity (RR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.01-1.95) aerobic activity, but not strength-building activity (RR = 1.37; 95% CI: 0.091-2.07). The intervention reduced self-reported servings of fried foods (mean difference = -0.31; 95% CI: -0.60, -0.02). The findings suggest that theory-based, contextually appropriate interventions may increase physical activity among university students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.