& Xa1;Activate Ya! Co-Learning About School-Based Tobacco Prevention And Physical Activity Promotion In Secondary School Students In Uruguay

Purpose: & xa1;Activate Ya! was a group-randomized controlled intervention trial aimed at developing and evaluating the impact of a school-based intervention on preventing cigarette smoking and promoting physical activity (PA) in secondary school students in Uruguay. Secondary aims were to evaluate the program's impact on students' smoking- and PA-related psychosocial risk and protective factors. Methods: Sixteen schools andn= 654 students participated in the study. The one-year intervention included a classroom-based curriculum, an afterschool program, activity breaks, and final showcase event. A self-administered questionnaire measured outcomes at three time points. Fixed effects regression models tested for differences in outcomes by study condition. Results: While positive intervention effects were found for selected psychosocial-related smoking outcomes, no impact on past-year smoking or smoking susceptibility was detected. Past 7-day PA, measured by the PAQ-C, was significantly higher among intervention school students overall (p= .048) and for girls (p= .03) at posttest, and intervention girls reported significantly higher athletic identity PA competence, friend and teacher PA support at posttest, and PA enjoyment at follow-up (p< .05). Conclusion: The positive short-term effects of & xa1;Activate Ya! on PA and related outcomes for girls support the utility of school-based health promotion in Uruguay. Additional research is needed to determine the most effective strategies to prevent tobacco use among students and promote PA among boys in this setting.