Effects of the FIT FIRST FOR ALL school-based physical activity intervention on health-related fitness, well-being, and equitable participation in a Faroese school setting

Abstract

This thesis investigates how structured physical activity in schools can support health-related fitness, perceived well-being, and equitable engagement among pupils aged 7 to 16 years. It is grounded in the FIT FIRST FOR ALL school-based physical activity program, evaluated as a 10-week intervention of three weekly 40-minute sessions designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous intensity through age-adapted, game-based activities delivered by trained PE teachers. Implemented in a school-wide setting in the Faroe Islands using a non-randomized controlled design, the intervention also offered an opportunity to assess the program’s ecological validity by examining how its design principles functioned in a real-world school environment.

Results from the intervention are presented across three papers. The first paper examined changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition and found significant improvements across age and gender groups. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased by 31%, with agility improving by 2%, muscle mass increasing by 7%, and body fat decreasing by 9%. The second paper evaluated health-related quality of life using a validated multidimensional questionnaire. Physical well-being improved by 7%, with the strongest effects observed among younger pupils and boys. No other significant intervention-related changes were observed. The third paper analyzed acute physiological and perceptual responses using validated session-level monitoring tools. Pupils spent around 60% of each session in moderate-to-vigorous intensity and reported high enjoyment across levels. Pupils with lower baseline fitness reached higher relative heart rates and greater perceived exertion while maintaining enjoyment scores comparable to their peers and showed a trend toward greater improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness compared with those with moderate or high baseline fitness, reinforcing their active and meaningful engagement.

Together, these findings show that the FIT FIRST FOR ALL program, implemented as a structured and inclusive school-based physical activity intervention, can improve fitness outcomes while supporting perceived competence and enjoyment. Health-related fitness emerged as both an outcome and a potential enabler of participation. From the full intervention experience in a real-world, school-wide setting, the thesis offers program-level insights into effective school-based physical activity design, emphasizing structure, contextual fit, equitable engagement, and ecological validity. It concludes that well-designed, inclusive programs such as FIT FIRST FOR ALL can help foster sustainable activity habits, improve health-related fitness, and support broader well-being in pupils.

Date of Award	6 Nov 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Fróðskaparsetur Føroya - The University of the Faroe Islands
Supervisor	Magni Mohr (Supervisor), Malte Nejst Larsen (Supervisor) & May-Britt Skoradal (Supervisor)