Healthy StudentsNCT07267832
Impact of Health Promotion Service-Learning for Older Adults in Physiotherapy Students
A study testing health promotion through Service-Learning and Health Promotion through Traditional Learning in people with Healthy Students, run by University of Valencia at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
Currently, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of service-learning methodology (SL) on learning-related outcomes for physiotherapy students, specifically when designing and implementing health promotion programs for vulnerable older adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Students
- What is being tested?
- health promotion through Service-Learning and Health Promotion through Traditional Learning
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 83 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 3 Mar 2022to 17 Apr 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- To be studying the Physiotherapy Degree in the Faculty of Physiotherapy of the University of Valencia.
- Willingness to participate
Who cannot join
- previous Service-Learning training
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Spain1 site
Department of Physiotherapy. Faculty of Physiotherapy. University of Valencia
Valencia, Valencia, 46010
About this study
Currently, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of service-learning methodology (SL) on learning-related outcomes for physiotherapy students, specifically when designing and implementing health promotion programs for vulnerable older adults. The present study aims to compare the effects of an SL program versus a Traditional Learning (TL) approach on Basic Psychological Needs (BPN), motivation, academic engagement, and empathy in physiotherapy students.
This study is a randomized clinical trial. Eighty-three physiotherapy students are allocated to an SL group (SLG) or to a TL group (TLG). All students develop a health promotion and therapeutic exercise program for vulnerable older adults, in order to carry out prevention and health promotion activities. The SLG performs the program with real patients by visiting health centers, while the TLG does not meet real patients. BPN, motivation, academic engagement, and empathy, in their different dimensions, are evaluated pre- and post-intervention.
This study was registered retrospectively, as the recruitment and/or data collection had already started before registration.
Read the detailed description
Health science professionals require both technical and interpersonal competencies to provide effective, patient-centered care. In physiotherapy, developing communication skills, empathy, and ethical awareness is essential for addressing patients' needs and situations of vulnerability. However, these interpersonal competencies are often insufficiently emphasized in traditional university curricula.
Service-Learning (SL) emerges as an innovative educational methodology that integrates academic learning with community service, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge to real social contexts. Through direct engagement with community needs, SL promotes experiential learning, civic responsibility, and the development of transversal competencies such as empathy, communication, and teamwork. Aligned with the principles of the Self-Determination Theory, SL fosters the satisfaction of basic psychological needs-competence, autonomy, relatedness, and novelty-enhancing students' motivation and engagement.
Previous studies in health sciences suggest that SL improves academic performance, moral development, and self-determined motivation. In physiotherapy, it contributes to the acquisition of professional and interpersonal skills necessary for effective clinical practice. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the impact of SL when physiotherapy students design and implement health promotion programs for vulnerable older adults. Investigating this approach is therefore essential to understanding its potential to enhance learning outcomes and foster socially committed future professionals.
A randomized, assessor-blinded trial compares a Service-Learning (SL) intervention with a Traditional Learning (TL) approach in physiotherapy students. Eighty-three students from the University of Valencia (Spain) are randomly assigned to either the SL group (SLG, n=39) or the TL group (TLG, n=44).
The SL intervention follows six domains: (Domain 1) project introduction and formation of student groups; (Domain 2) identification of the physical, functional, and social needs of vulnerable older adults through direct contact and literature review; (Domain 3) discussion and validation of identified needs with mentor supervision; (Domain 4) autonomous individual work; (Domain 5) collaborative group work; and (Domain 6) final presentation in a clinical setting, including practical implementation with older adults and interactive discussion. Throughout all domains, students engage in guided critical reflection on the personal, professional, and social implications of their participation in the SL program.
The TL intervention consists of a parallel six-domain structure but without direct engagement with older adults: (Domain 1) project introduction and group formation; (Domain 2) identification of needs solely through bibliographic research; (Domain 3) review and discussion of findings with teacher supervision; (Domain 4) autonomous individual work; (Domain 5) collaborative group work; and (Domain 6) final oral presentation of the proposed health promotion program to peers at the university.
This study was registered retrospectively, as the recruitment and/or data collection had already started before registration.
- Conditions
- Healthy Students
- Being tested
- health promotion through Service-Learning, Health Promotion through Traditional Learning
- Keywords
- service-learning, physiotherapy, health promotion, teaching-learning methodology
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
health promotion through Service-LearningOther
Students of the Service-Learning Group (SLG) put their plans into practice by directly interacting with older adults in health centers, allowing them to observe needs firsthand and apply interventions in real-life contexts.
Health Promotion through Traditional LearningOther
Students in the Traditional Learning Group (TLG) develop their programs based solely on literature and research, without direct contact with patients. They analyze the needs of older adults through bibliographic sources, discuss their findings with the instructor, and integrate both individual and group work into their process. The TLG finalizes their project by presenting the proposed program to classmates, using examples to illustrate its application.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Service-Learning group | Experimental | Students work in groups to identify the needs of vulnerable older adults, researching and validating them with a mentor, combining individual and collaborative work, and culminating in the presentation and implementation of a health intervention, all accompanied by critical reflection on their personal and professional learning. Receives: Other: health promotion through Service-Learning |
| Traditional Learning group | Active comparator | Students in the TL group follow a similar structure but do not engage directly with older adults. They identify needs solely through bibliographic research, review and discuss their findings with the teacher, and combine individual and group work. The intervention concludes with an oral presentation of the proposed health program to peers, illustrating it with examples. Receives: Other: Health Promotion through Traditional Learning |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Basic Psychological Needs
The fulfillment of Basic Psychological Needs is measured using the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSNF), which evaluates the extent to which individuals experience satisfaction or frustration regarding four fundamental psychological needs: autonomy, competence, relatedness, and novelty. For each need, participants respond to items assessing both satisfaction and frustration on a 5-point Likert scale, where higher scores indicate greater satisfaction or greater frustration, respectively.
Measured: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes (3)
Motivation
Motivation is assessed using the Scale of Motivation in Education, which includes 28 items across seven dimensions: Intrinsic Motivation - Knowledge, Intrinsic Motivation - Achievement, Intrinsic Motivation - Stimulating Experiences, Identified Regulation, Introjected Regulation, External Regulation, and Amotivation. Participants respond on a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 indicates "totally disagree" and 7 "totally agree." Higher scores in the first five dimensions indicate greater self-determined motivation, while higher scores in External Regulation and Amotivation reflect less self-determined forms of motivation.
Measured: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Academic engagement
This outcome is measured using the short Spanish version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Student (UWES-S-9), an instrument described for analyzing engagement and widely used. This instrument measures three dimensions of academic engagement: vigor, dedication, and absorption. The scale consists of nine items in total, with three items corresponding to each dimension. Responses are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always/every day). Higher scores indicate greater levels of academic engagement in each dimension.
Measured: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Empathy
Empathy is evaluated using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), a 20-item instrument scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). This scale is specifically designed to evaluate empathy within the context of patient care. It comprises three domains: (1) Empathic concern, which captures emotional sensitivity and concern for the patient's well-being; (2) Perspective taking, which reflects the ability to understand and consider the patient's viewpoint; and (3) Standing in the patient's shoes, which assesses the capacity to maintain appropriate emotional distance while still grasping the patient's experience. Higher scores across domains correspond to greater levels of empathy.
Measured: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Dec 2025
- Study start3 Mar 2022
- Primary completion17 Apr 2022
- Study completion17 Apr 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy StudentsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of ValenciaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 83 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Valencia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hospital General Valencia, Hospital Universitario La Fe
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mercè Balasch i Bernat, University of Valencia
- Investigators
- Mercè Balasch i Bernat, Principal investigator, Department of Physiotherapy. Faculty of Physiotherapya. University of Valencia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07267832
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CEISH/47/2022
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 17 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Impact of Health Promotion Service-Learning for Older Adults in Physiotherapy Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07267832
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CEISH/47/2022
- Conditions
- Healthy Students
- Keywords
- service-learning, physiotherapy, health promotion, teaching-learning methodology
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 83 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ValenciaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hospital General Valencia, Hospital Universitario La Fe
- Study start
- 3 Mar 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 Apr 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 17 Apr 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Currently, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of service-learning methodology (SL) on learning-related outcomes for physiotherapy students, specifically when designing and implementing health promotion programs for vulnerable older adults. The present study aims to compare the effects of an SL program versus a Traditional Learning (TL) approach on Basic Psychological Needs (BPN), motivation, academic engagement, and empathy in physiotherapy students.
This study is a randomized clinical trial. Eighty-three physiotherapy students are allocated to an SL group (SLG) or to a TL group (TLG). All students develop a health promotion and therapeutic exercise program for vulnerable older adults, in order to carry out prevention and health promotion activities. The SLG performs the program with real patients by visiting health centers, while the TLG does not meet real patients. BPN, motivation, academic engagement, and empathy, in their different dimensions, are evaluated pre- and post-intervention.
This study was registered retrospectively, as the recruitment and/or data collection had already started before registration.
Detailed description
Health science professionals require both technical and interpersonal competencies to provide effective, patient-centered care. In physiotherapy, developing communication skills, empathy, and ethical awareness is essential for addressing patients' needs and situations of vulnerability. However, these interpersonal competencies are often insufficiently emphasized in traditional university curricula.
Service-Learning (SL) emerges as an innovative educational methodology that integrates academic learning with community service, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge to real social contexts. Through direct engagement with community needs, SL promotes experiential learning, civic responsibility, and the development of transversal competencies such as empathy, communication, and teamwork. Aligned with the principles of the Self-Determination Theory, SL fosters the satisfaction of basic psychological needs-competence, autonomy, relatedness, and novelty-enhancing students' motivation and engagement.
Previous studies in health sciences suggest that SL improves academic performance, moral development, and self-determined motivation. In physiotherapy, it contributes to the acquisition of professional and interpersonal skills necessary for effective clinical practice. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the impact of SL when physiotherapy students design and implement health promotion programs for vulnerable older adults. Investigating this approach is therefore essential to understanding its potential to enhance learning outcomes and foster socially committed future professionals.
A randomized, assessor-blinded trial compares a Service-Learning (SL) intervention with a Traditional Learning (TL) approach in physiotherapy students. Eighty-three students from the University of Valencia (Spain) are randomly assigned to either the SL group (SLG, n=39) or the TL group (TLG, n=44).
The SL intervention follows six domains: (Domain 1) project introduction and formation of student groups; (Domain 2) identification of the physical, functional, and social needs of vulnerable older adults through direct contact and literature review; (Domain 3) discussion and validation of identified needs with mentor supervision; (Domain 4) autonomous individual work; (Domain 5) collaborative group work; and (Domain 6) final presentation in a clinical setting, including practical implementation with older adults and interactive discussion. Throughout all domains, students engage in guided critical reflection on the personal, professional, and social implications of their participation in the SL program.
The TL intervention consists of a parallel six-domain structure but without direct engagement with older adults: (Domain 1) project introduction and group formation; (Domain 2) identification of needs solely through bibliographic research; (Domain 3) review and discussion of findings with teacher supervision; (Domain 4) autonomous individual work; (Domain 5) collaborative group work; and (Domain 6) final oral presentation of the proposed health promotion program to peers at the university.
This study was registered retrospectively, as the recruitment and/or data collection had already started before registration.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Service-Learning group | Experimental | Other: health promotion through Service-LearningStudents work in groups to identify the needs of vulnerable older adults, researching and validating them with a mentor, combining individual and collaborative work, and culminating in the presentation and implementation of a health intervention, all accompanied by critical reflection on their personal and professional learning. |
| Traditional Learning group | Active comparator | Other: Health Promotion through Traditional LearningStudents in the TL group follow a similar structure but do not engage directly with older adults. They identify needs solely through bibliographic research, review and discuss their findings with the teacher, and combine individual and group work. The intervention concludes with an oral presentation of the proposed health program to peers, illustrating it with examples. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- To be studying the Physiotherapy Degree in the Faculty of Physiotherapy of the University of Valencia.
- Willingness to participate
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- previous Service-Learning training
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| health promotion through Service-LearningStudents of the Service-Learning Group (SLG) put their plans into practice by directly interacting with older adults in health centers, allowing them to observe needs firsthand and apply interventions in real-life contexts. | Other | Service-Learning group |
| Health Promotion through Traditional LearningStudents in the Traditional Learning Group (TLG) develop their programs based solely on literature and research, without direct contact with patients. They analyze the needs of older adults through bibliographic sources, discuss their findings with the instructor, and integrate both individual and group work into their process. The TLG finalizes their project by presenting the proposed program to classmates, using examples to illustrate its application. | Other | Traditional Learning group |
Primary outcome
Basic Psychological Needs
Time frame: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
The fulfillment of Basic Psychological Needs is measured using the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSNF), which evaluates the extent to which individuals experience satisfaction or frustration regarding four fundamental psychological needs: autonomy, competence, relatedness, and novelty. For each need, participants respond to items assessing both satisfaction and frustration on a 5-point Likert scale, where higher scores indicate greater satisfaction or greater frustration, respectively.
3 secondary outcomes
Motivation
Time frame: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Academic engagement
Time frame: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Empathy
Time frame: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mercè Balasch i Bernat principal investigator
Department of Physiotherapy. Faculty of Physiotherapya. University of Valencia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing health promotion through Service-Learning and Health Promotion through Traditional Learning in people with Healthy Students, run by University of Valencia at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Basic Psychological Needs (time frame: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Dec 2025.