# Developing And Testing An Implementation Strategy For Active Learning To Promote Physical Activity In Children

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2021 · $141,925

## Abstract

Physical activity promotion among youth is critical for cardiovascular disease prevention. Despite available
evidence-based approaches for physical activity, implementation remains a challenge, especially in schools.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective implementation strategies to improve the dissemination
and implementation of evidence based physical activity approaches for children. The purpose of this four year
K01 award is to prepare Dr. Timothy J. Walker with the training and experience necessary to achieve his career
goals of becoming an independent investigator and leader in the field of implementation science and physical
activity promotion. This proposal includes three training objectives: 1) gain proficiency in implementation
research; 2) build analytic skills to use multilevel models and Bayesian statistical approaches in
implementation research; and 3) increase competency in conducting school-based physical activity research.
Dr. Walker has assembled a mentorship team of experts in implementation science (Dr. Maria Fernandez,
primary mentor), applied statistical methods (Dr. Charles Green, co-mentor), and physical activity research
(Drs. Harold Kohl and John Bartholomew, co-mentors). The proposed study sets out to improve the
implementation of active learning, which is a school-based evidence-based approach that incorporates physical
movement into academic lessons. The study rationale is that active learning approaches are effective for
increasing children's physical activity, yet there are large gaps in research about their implementation in
practice. The study aims are: 1) develop an implementation strategy to improve the use and sustainment of
active learning approaches in elementary schools and 2) conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the impact of
the developed implementation strategy on the implementation and effectiveness of active learning. Aim 1 will
use Intervention Mapping, a systematic approach to develop a scientifically-based multifaceted
implementation strategy. Aim 2 will use a quasi-experimental design to examine acceptability of the
implementation strategy and its impact on implementation fidelity. Aim 2 will also examine the preliminary
effectiveness of active learning. This study is highly significant because it addresses physical inactivity among
children in schools where there is an urgent need for implementation support. If effective, the developed
implementation strategy has the potential to improve the use of active learning and reach millions of students
across the US. The study is innovative because it targets a novel approach for active learning where there is
limited research about implementation strategies to support the use of such approaches. It also uses a novel
framework to guide implementation strategy development, and Bayesian statistical methods to determine
whether the implementation strategy warrants further testing. Results from this study will enhance the ability
to scale-...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10127411
- **Project number:** 1K01HL151817-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Timothy James Walker
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $141,925
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10127411

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10127411, Developing And Testing An Implementation Strategy For Active Learning To Promote Physical Activity In Children (1K01HL151817-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10127411. Licensed CC0.

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