Effects of school-based before-school physical activity programmes on children's physical activity levels, health and learning-related outcomes: a systematic review

SchoolHEAT: Racial and Ethnic Inequity in School Temperature

Exposure to high environmental temperature is detrimental to health through multiple pathways. This paper describes disparities in school-based high-temperature exposure at metropolitan schools in the United States. Using school location and sociodemographic data from the National Center for Education Statistics, neighborhood data from the US Census Bureau, and land surface temperature (LST) data from the Aqua Earth-observing satellite mission, we find that for every 10% more Black or Hispanic residents in the neighborhood, schools have LST 0.25 °C and 0.38 °C hotter, respectively. When the Black or Hispanic student population is greater than the neighborhood population, LST is an additional 0.20 °C and 0.40 °C for each 10% increase in students over neighborhood population, respectively. Black and Hispanic students are overrepresented in the hottest schools, making up 58.7% of students in the hottest 20% of schools, compared to only 30.0% of students in the coolest 20% of schools.

The effects of the 'active before school' programme on the academic skills of 8-9-year-old children: a physically and cognitively engaging intervention

Introduction

Literature underscores the significance of exercise and cognitive stimulation for achieving academic success. This study aims to investigate the effects of the technology-based "Active Before the First School Bell" programme, comparing the effects of two school-based interventions (physical activity vs. cognitive engagement) on the academic skills of 8-9-year-old children.

Methods

This encompasses their school skills, visual-motor coordination, levels and attitudes towards physical activity, and fitness. The study involved 88 primary school children (age: 8.3 years, 58.0% girls). To assess the programme's distinct effects children were categorised into three groups. The first group (n = 31) participated in cognitive classes (CEG), the second (n = 27), in physical activity classes (PAEG), and the third (n = 30), was a control one (CG). A 12-week intervention, consisting of three 15-min sessions per week before school, was implemented. Self-report questionnaires gauged levels of physical activity. Academic skills were assessed using a battery of diagnostic methods for school failure in early childhood education. Fitness was measured using selected items from the Eurofit test battery. Pre- and post-test measures were collected and analysed, employing one-way ANOVA on ranks with Dunn's post-hoc tests.

Results

Significant post-test differences between the groups were observed in visual spatial function, with the PAEG outperforming the CG, and in auditory and language functions, where both experimental groups outperformed the CG. Results suggest that before school physical activities may be more effective than cognitive activities in improving the academic skills.

Conclusion

The short-term effects obtained provide insights for implementing before-school programmes for children in the early school years.

The Value of an Informal Before-School Exercise Opportunity for Adolescent Girls Living in a Low-Socioeconomic Community

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is beneficial to physical, social, and emotional well-being, and schools are required to provide opportunities to engage in physical activity. While physical education and school sport have been extensively researched, little is known about the value of informal, unstructured, exercise opportunities.

METHODS

This study involved interviews with 19 adolescent girls who attended "extra" exercise opportunities provided by their school. The 3 opportunities were: (1) informal before-school exercise sessions at school, (2) before-school sport training, and (3) externally provided exercise sessions in a community setting during school hours.

RESULTS

Students perceived all opportunities as valuable with benefits to confidence, social well-being, and emotional well-being. The informal exercise sessions held greater benefits to confidence as confidence transferred from the physical activity context into the academic classroom more so than for those participating in sport. Social benefits were greater for those exercising before school as this opportunity created new relationships with teachers and with students from other classes and year groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The opportunity to engage in informal exercise with peers before school widened social networks, increased confidence, changed the overall school climate, and increased attendance.

Before-school physical activity patterns among adolescents using accelerometer and GPS data

Most adolescents do not meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. The before-school segment has been identified as one promising opportunity for intervention; however, there is a need for contextual understanding of PA in this segment. This study aimed to examine: a) adolescents' PA levels across various locations before school (6:00am - school start), b) contributions of before-school PA to daily PA and PA guidelines, and c) correlates of location-specific before-school PA. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using adolescents' (n = 148, mean age 14.7) accelerometer and GPS data. Adolescents averaged 9.7 min in before-school moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), representing substantial contributions to daily activity. Most MVPA occurred away from home and school. Significant correlates included segment duration, age, socio-economic status, and PA self-efficacy. Future work should consider these patterns and correlates to support adolescents' PA through targeted interventions.

A qualitative exploration of multi-stakeholder perspectives of before-school physical activity

BACKGROUND

Engagement in before-school physical activity can potentially enhance health and learning-related outcomes for children and adolescents. However, influencing factors and stakeholder perceptions of before-school physical activity remain under-researched. This qualitative study aimed to examine stakeholder perceptions of: a) the suitability of the before-school segment for physical activity, b) barriers and facilitators associated with before-school physical activity, and c) strategies for schools to support before-school physical activity.

METHODS

Twelve focus groups and one interview were conducted with 38 participants from a range of school stakeholder groups-students, parents, teachers, school leaders, external physical activity providers, and school health and physical activity experts. Focus groups were analysed using template analysis, guided by a social-ecological model.

RESULTS

Stakeholders perceived before-school physical activity as valuable, for reasons including perceptions of meaningful contributions to students' cognitive functioning, classroom behaviours, and wellbeing. Factors influencing before-school physical activity were identified across multiple social-ecological levels, including the critical role of school leadership support, availability of facilities, and provision of qualified supervision. Proposed strategies highlighted the need for sustainable design, contextual relevance, and community engagement in before-school initiatives. Additionally, communication of the manifold benefits identified by stakeholders was suggested as a means to drive support and engagement in before-school physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight for schools seeking to enhance opportunities for physical activity in the before-school hours and may inform future intervention research on the subject, taking into account its multi-faceted influences and the need for context-specific strategies.

Before-school physical activity levels and sociodemographic correlates among Australian adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Understanding adolescents' physical activity levels and underpinning contextual factors is crucial for health promotion. This cross-sectional study, using 24-hour time use diaries and sociodemographic variables from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, addressed gaps in understanding of physical activity in the before-school segment (the time between waking up and commencing classes). The study examined a) adolescents' time spent in before-school physical activity, focusing on location and shared presence, and b) sociodemographic correlates of before-school physical activity. Completed diaries by 12-13 year-olds (n = 3,201) revealed that adolescents reported an average of 10.8 minutes of daily before-school physical activity (average segment length: 114 min), mostly classified as active transport (5.7 min). Most before-school physical activity occurred in a location other than home or school (6.1 min) and with peers (6.1 min). Notably, 51% of boys and 60% of girls did not report any before-school physical activity. Through two-part regression, we found that boys, adolescents from single-parent households, and those with longer before-school segments are more likely to report before-school physical activity compared to their counterparts. Before-school initiatives should promote active transport and diverse opportunities in other settings. Research into barriers and facilitators may inform more inclusive and effective promotion strategies, including school-based initiatives.

A study on the relationships between playfulness, physical self-efficacy, and school happiness among middle school students participating in "0th-period physical education class" in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to create a scientific basis for the establishment of "0th-period physical education class" activities in schools in the future, with the expectation that the associations of morning exercise can be activated in the Korean educational community. To achieve this goal, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between the playfulness experienced during the early morning exercise of middle school students and their physical self-efficacy and education for happiness. To examine the model, questionnaires were collected from 296 middle school students located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Correlation analysis and standard multiple regression analysis were performed to analyze the data using the SPSS 21.0. The findings were as follows: First, the playfulness of the middle school "0th-period physical education class" had a significant effect on physical self-efficacy. Second, playfulness had a significant effect on education for happiness. Thirdly, physical self-efficacy was found to have a significant effect on education for happiness. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that a "0th-period physical education class" with various activities should be held during the legally required time in South Korea.

Bullying in Adolescents Practising Sport: A Structural Model Approach

This article aims to analyse the relationship between the bullying aggressor and bullying victim profile related to practising or not practising sport in adolescents living in southern Spain. The research includes male and female participants aged between 12 and 16 years in different secondary schools in the provinces of Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla in the period between February 2022 and June 2022. The study aims to extend the existing scientific, theoretical and empirical knowledge on the influence of playing sport or not on disruptive bullying attitudes in adolescents. To this end, two initial hypotheses were designed; the first hypothesises that bullying victim behaviours are associated with future bullying aggressor behaviours when practising sport; and the second states that victim behaviours are associated with future bullying aggressor behaviours when not practising sport. To verify them, SPSS software was used for the preliminary analysis of the scale and sociodemographic profile. Additionally, the study is based on structural equation modelling methodology and variance-based methods employing SmartPLS v3.3 software. The results show the importance of sport or physical activity to reduce the chances of carrying out bullying actions on other peers and/or classmates. Therefore, it is considered necessary to prevent bullying in the classroom by implementing sports intervention programmes in educational centres.