"11 for Health" in Pakistan - Effects on Physical Fitness, Health Knowledge and Well-being of 8-14-year-old Schoolchildren

This study examined the effects of a school-based football intervention, the "11 for Health" (11fH) programme, on cardiorespiratory health, musculoskeletal fitness, health knowledge and well-being among Pakistani school children. The main questions it aimed to answer were: * Does the programme enhance Pakistani schoolchildren's cardiorespiratory health and physical fitness, including blood pressure, resting heart rate, aerobic capacity, horizontal jumping ability, agility, 30-m sprint, postural balance, BMI and waist circumference? * Does it improve their health knowledge and well-being? Researchers compared students who participated in the "11 for Health" intervention to those who continued their regular school curriculum. 254 fifth- and sixth-grade students (126 boys, 128 girls) from five schools in Islamabad participated in this study, allocated to an 11-week intervention group, a 5-week intervention group, and a control group. Researchers tested all groups before and after the intervention. Cardiorespiratory health and physical fitness were assessed with standardized tests. Health knowledge and well-being were measured with validated Urdu questionnaires.