Effectiveness of Physical-Literacy-Based Online Education on Indices of Physical Activity in High-School Adolescents

Introduction. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a physical-literacy-based online education program on physical activity levels (PAL) and physical literacy (PL) components in high-school adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods. A total of 544 Croatian adolescents (aged 14-18 years) participated in a 12-week intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 270) or a control group (n = 274). PAL was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), while PL knowledge and perception were evaluated using the CAPL-2 Knowledge and Understanding (CAPL-2-KU) and PLAYself questionnaires. A total of 466 students completed both pre- and post-tests. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA.

Results. PAL decreased in both groups (PAQ-A: from 2.70 ± 0.70 to 2.52 ± 0.69; p < 0.05), with a smaller decline in the intervention group (−0.15) than in the control group (−0.21). CAPL-2-KU scores significantly increased in the intervention group (from 9.00 ± 2.04 to 9.73 ± 1.73; p < 0.001; η² = 0.08), indicating improved PL knowledge. Small but significant improvements were also observed in PLAYself total scores (from 68.46 ± 12.74 to 69.36 ± 11.93; p = 0.001; η² = 0.02). Gender analysis showed greater improvements among girls, particularly in CAPL-2-KU (η² = 0.13) and PLAYself total (η² = 0.02).

Conclusions. The PL-based online education program effectively enhanced adolescents’ PL knowledge and self-perception and mitigated the decline in PAL during a period of reduced school activity. Future interventions should integrate knowledge-based and experiential components to promote sustained engagement in physical activity.