School-Based Before-School Physical Activity Programs

The before-school segment, defined as the time between waking up and the official start of the school day, consistently features in physical activity (PA) promotion frameworks for children and adolescents. To date, the literature on this segment has predominantly focused on active transport to school. This chapter focuses on school-based programs occurring before school as another key strategy for supporting PA when active transport is not feasible, or as an additional PA opportunity upon arrival at school. Relevant literature indicates such programs are appealing for multiple stakeholders (i.e., school staff, youth, parents) and for various reasons (e.g., lack of interference with timetabled requirements, PA facilitation at a time often spent sedentary, perceived learning-related benefits, alignment with parent work schedules). A growing body of evidence suggests various positive outcomes associated with participation in school-based before-school PA programs, including PA and learning-related outcomes, as well as several challenges for program implementation and sustainability (e.g., transport arrangements, resource allocation, staff turnover). Acknowledging the limitations of existing research and the complexities inherent in before-school school-based PA programming, this chapter offers recommendations for research and practice to help enrich our understanding of program implementation and effectiveness, and maximize the impact on students and school communities.