Factors associated with early childhood education and care service implementation of healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices in Australia: a cross-sectional study.
Many early childhood education and care (ECEC) services fail to implement recommended policies and practices supportive of healthy eating and physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess whether certain theoretically-based factors are associated with implementation of healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices in a sample of ECEC services. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with Service Managers of ECEC services. The survey assessed the operational characteristics, policy, and practice implementation, and 13 factors were suggested by Damschroder's Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to impede or promote implementation. Logistic regression analyses found a significant association between implementation factor score and full implementation (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.18-1.61; p = <0.01), indicating that for every one point increase in implementation score, ECEC services were 38 % more likely to be fully implementing the policies and practices. The findings highlight the opportunities for improving implementation of obesity prevention interventions in this setting by developing interventions that address such factors.
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Luke
L
Wolfenden
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Meghan
M
Finch
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Nicole
N
Nathan
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Natasha
N
Weaver
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
John
J
Wiggers
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Sze Lin
SL
Yoong
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Jannah
J
Jones
Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Pennie
P
Dodds
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Rebecca
R
Wyse
Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Rachel
R
Sutherland
Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Karen
K
Gillham
Early childhood education and care; Healthy eating; Implementation; Obesity; Physical activity