Nurse facilitated 5000 m running at Parkrun improves vulnerable adolescent health in a high deprivation area: A matched pair randomized control trial.

Objective: To examine the effect of weekly nurse facilitated 5000 m running at Parkrun on markers of health in vulnerable adolescents from a high deprivation area. Design: A matched pair randomized control trial. Sample: Twenty‐five adolescents aged 13–18, 90% identifying as Māori/Pasifika ethnicity. Intervention: The intervention (INT) group participated in 6–10 Parkruns within 10 weeks, and a control group (CON) participated in one Parkrun only. A nurse facilitated the intervention offering support and encouragement at each Parkrun. Measurements: Pre‐ and post‐intervention testing sessions for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), glycated hemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), body fat, and hand grip strength (STR) were conducted. Results: Parkrun improved CRF (F = 5.308, p = 0.035) and 5000 m time (t = 2.850, p = 0.019) by 5.5 ± 4.9 min (11.2%). Parkrun conferred a large beneficial effect on CRF (η2 = 0.249) a moderate beneficial effect on glycated hemoglobin levels (η2 = 0.119), and small beneficial effects upon SMM (η2 = 0.037) and body fat (η2 = 0.017). Conclusion: A weekly dose of nurse facilitated Parkrun can be recommended as a simple, accessible intervention that confers multiple beneficial effects on markers for health in adolescents from a high deprivation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]