- Title
- Implementation of healthy eating and physical activity practices in Australian early childhood education and care services: A cross-sectional study
- Creator
- Lum, Melanie; Grady, Alice; Wolfenden, Luke; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Lin Yoong, Sze
- Relation
- Preventive Medicine Reports Vol. 36, no. 102455
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102455
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Background: The monitoring of healthy eating and physical activity environments is recommended to support population health. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key setting to deliver obesity prevention strategies as they reach the majority of children aged under five years and have existing supporting infrastructure. Objectives: The aim of this study was to i) describe the prevalence of implementation of evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity practices in an Australian sample of ECEC services, and ii) examine associations between implementation of practices and service characteristics. Methods: A random sample of 2,100 centre-based ECEC services across Australia were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey online or via telephone (August 2021-April 2022). Service characteristics and implementation of 18 evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity practices were assessed. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 1,028 (51.8%) eligible services participated. The healthy eating and physical activity practices with the lowest prevalence of implementation were related to encouraging children to consume age-appropriate beverages (17.9%) and providing families with child physical activity education via workshops or meetings (14.6%), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the implementation of healthy eating practices by service characteristics, with long day care services implementing significantly more practices than preschools (p < 0.01). Conclusion: There is room to improve the implementation of evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity practices ECEC services. Implementation efforts should be directed towards preschools.
- Subject
- early childhood education and care; healthy eating; physical activity; policy; practice; health promotion; SDG 3; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1497461
- Identifier
- uon:54361
- Identifier
- ISSN:2211-3355
- Language
- eng
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Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
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