Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine


ISSN: 2300-9705    eISSN: 2353-2807    OAI    DOI: 10.18276/cej.2026.2-06
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Issue archive / Vol. 54, No. 2/2026
Effects of the FitKids Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cardiovascular Fitness among Elementary School Students

Authors: Nevitaningrum Nevitaningrum ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Siliwangi University, Indonesia

Trisnar Adi Prabowo ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Muhammadiyah Brebes University, Indonesia

Gumilar Mulya ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Siliwangi University, Indonesia

Nanang Kusnadi ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Siliwangi University, Indonesia

Fariha Nilan ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Siliwangi University, Indonesia

Muhamad Hanif Ramadhan ORCID
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Siliwangi University, Indonesia
Keywords: physical activity cardiovascular fitness physical education elementary school students
Whole issue publication date:2026
Page range:16 (63-78)
Klasyfikacja JEL: I12 I21
Cited-by (Crossref) ?:

Abstract

Elementary school students in urban areas are experiencing low physical activity and declining cardiovascular fitness, threatening their long-term health. This study examined the effectiveness of the 12-week FitKids Program in improving physical activity and cardiovascular fitness among 9–10-year-old students in Tasikmalaya City. A cluster-allocated (school-based) quasi-experimental design was conducted in six urban schools (three FitKids (EXP); three regular PE (CON), with non-random allocation based on feasibility and scheduling. The final sample comprised 150 students (experimental n75, control n75). Physical activity was assessed with the Indonesian-adapted Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C), and and cardiovascular fitness via average Multistage Fitness Test (MFT) scores. The FitKids Program showed strong content validity (mean Aiken's V=0.90) and acceptable reliability (α=0.612). Descriptively, EXP PAQ-C scores increased from 2.15 to 5.21, compared with 2.26 to 4.40 in CON, while MFT improved from 31.74 to 41.75 (EXP) versus declining from 28.41 to 27.17 (CON). After school clustering adjustment (ICC PAQ-C=0.129; ICC MFT=0.045) and baseline covariate control, mixed-effects modelling revealed no significant intervention effect on physical activity (β=0.88, p = 0.478, d=0.33) but strong effects on cardiovascular fitness (p < 0.001, d=0.74). These findings demonstrate FitKids effectively enhances cardiovascular fitness through structured interval and circuit training within regular PE sessions, though broader physical activity changes require longer duration or complementary strategies. The cluster-adjusted approach underscores the importance of accounting for school-level dependencies in educational interventions.
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