title: Correlates, determinants, and effectiveness of childcare educators' practices and behaviours on preschoolers' physical activity and eating behaviours: a systematic review protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide, approximately 12% of children under the age of 5 are either overweight or obese. As many young children spend 30 h or more per week in childcare centres with childcare educators. Targeting childcare educators as role models may prove an effective strategy for the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity. This manuscript describes the methods to systematically review existing literature relating to how childcare educators influence children's healthy eating and physical activity behaviours, as well as the links between specific practices and behaviours of childcare educators and children's healthy lifestyle behaviours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relevant peer-reviewed studies will be identified through a computerized literature search in six databases: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Science Direct, CINAHL, Wiley and SportDiscus. Quantitative studies written in English or French reporting the correlates, predictors or effectiveness of childcare educators' practices and behaviours on preschoolers' healthy eating and physical activity behaviours will be included. The quality of retained studies will be assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Descriptive summary statistics of study characteristics will be reported as well as the study designs and exposure and outcome measures. Inter-rater agreements for study selection and quality assessments will be reported and unadjusted, and adjusted results will be presented. Reporting of the systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This systematic review will contribute to a better understanding of the potential of childcare educators as role models for young children, as well as the influence (or impact) of their behaviours and intervention on children's short- and long-term health. It will provide important information that could be used to improve obesity prevention strategies and initiatives, as well as to guide the improvement or implementation of effective healthy eating and physical activity policies in childcare centres.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  PROSPERO ( CRD42014012973 ).
authors: Université de Sherbrooke, Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Pavillon J.-Raymond Frenette 18, rue des Aboiteaux, Moncton, E1A 3E9, NB, Canada. Stephanie.Ann.Ward@usherbrooke.ca.
authors: Stéphanie
authors: S
authors: Ward
authors: Université de Sherbrooke, Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Pavillon J.-Raymond Frenette 18, rue des Aboiteaux, Moncton, E1A 3E9, NB, Canada. Mathieu.F.Belanger@usherbrooke.ca.
authors: Mathieu
authors: M
authors: Bélanger
authors: Université de Sherbrooke, Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Pavillon J.-Raymond Frenette 18, rue des Aboiteaux, Moncton, E1A 3E9, NB, Canada. Denise.Donovan@usherbrooke.ca.
authors: Denise
authors: D
authors: Donovan
authors: Université de Moncton, Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Pavillon J.-Raymond Frenette 18, rue des Aboiteaux, Moncton, E1A 3E9, NB, Canada. Amanda.Horsman@umoncton.ca.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Horsman
authors: Université de Moncton, École des sciences des aliments, de nutrition et d'études familiales, Pavillon Jacqueline-Bouchard 51 Antonine-Maillet Avenue, Moncton, E1A 3E9, NB, Canada. Natalie.Carrier@umoncton.ca.
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Carrier
mesh_terms: D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012107:Research Design; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*