title: A longitudinal study assessing childcare services' adoption of obesity prevention policies and practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite ongoing investments to improve the obesogenic environments of childcare settings, little is known regarding how these services have changed their physical activity and nutrition-promoting practices. This study aims to describe changes in the proportion of Australian childcare services that have adopted best-practice healthy eating and physical activity practices between 2006 and 2013 and to assess whether adoption varied by socio-economic status and locality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomly selected sample of nominated supervisors (n = 358) from childcare services located in New South Wales, Australia, participated in a telephone survey in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. Supervisors reported on their service's adoption of six practices: (i) having written nutrition and physical activity policies; (ii) staff trained in physical activity and nutrition in the past year; (iii) scheduled time for fundamental movement skills and (iv) outdoor play; (v) weekly or less screen time opportunities; and (vi) serving only non-sweetened beverages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in the prevalence of services adopting all but one practice, between 2006 and 2013 was identified. Ninety one percent of services adopted four or more practices, a significant increase from 38% in 2006. There were no differences in the proportion of services adopting each practice by locality and socio-economic status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Government investment in obesity prevention programmes can equitably improve childcare service's adoption of healthy eating and physical activity promoting practices on a jurisdiction-wide basis. The establishment of a routine system to monitor adoption of a broader range of practices by childcare services is warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Sze Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yoong
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finch
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiggers
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lecathelinais
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Jannah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Pennie
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dodds
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.|Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolfenden
mesh_terms: D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009517:New South Wales; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: child day care centres; health promotion; policy; public health