Family-based tag rugby: acute effects on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognition and factors affecting family enjoyment and feasibility

Fountain, SM ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1918-838X, Walters, GWM ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9226-4473, Williams, RA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1346-7756, Sunderland, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7484-1345, Cooper, SB ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5219-5020 and Dring, KJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9647-3579, 2025. Family-based tag rugby: acute effects on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognition and factors affecting family enjoyment and feasibility. Healthcare, 13 (24): 3186. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Physical inactivity is associated with increased cardiometabolic disease risk and poor cognition in children and their parents. Family-based physical activity offers an opportunity for children and their parents to engage in physical activity concurrently. The present study examined the effect of an acute bout of family-based tag rugby on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognition in families. Additionally, this study qualitatively explored families’ perceptions of enjoyment and factors affecting implementation with considerations for socioeconomic status.

Methods: Sixteen families (27 children, 20 parents) participated in an exercise (45 min family-based tag rugby) and resting control trial (45 min seated rest), separated by seven days. Postprandial gylcaemia, insulinaemia, lipaemia and cognitive function were measured following exercise/rest. Families also participated in whole-family focus groups and separate parent and child interviews.

Results: In parents, postprandial plasma insulin concentrations were lower on the exercise trial than the rested control trial at 30 min (p = 0.004) and 120 min following the consumption of a standardised lunch (p = 0.011). In children, a significant trial*time interaction for inverse efficiency scores on the Sternberg paradigm (three-item) was exhibited (p = 0.016). In parents, a significant trial*time interaction for inverse efficiency score on the Stroop congruent test was exhibited (trial*time interaction; p = 0.012), whereby inverse efficiency scores improved immediately post-exercise, compared with the rested control trial (p = 0.016). Qualitatively, families from all socioeconomic backgrounds agreed that tag rugby is an inclusive, enjoyable mode of physical activity that families want to participate in together, which can be adapted to overcome the barriers associated with the cost of and access to local facilities.

Conclusions: An acute bout of tag rugby improved postprandial insulin concentrations in parents and cognitive function in children and their parents. Tag rugby was deemed an appropriate exercise modality for families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Healthcare
Creators:	Fountain, S.M., Walters, G.W.M., Williams, R.A., Sunderland, C., Cooper, S.B. and Dring, K.J.
Publisher:	MDPI AG
Date:	December 2025
Volume:	13
Number:	24
ISSN:	2227-9032
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.3390/healthcare13243186 DOI 2547427 Other
Rights:	© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	16 Dec 2025 12:05
Last Modified:	16 Dec 2025 12:05
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54877

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