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BackgroundOverweight and obesity is a significant public health problem that impacts a large number of children globally. Supporting childcare centers to deliver healthy eating and physical activity-promoting policies and practices is a recommended strategy for obesity prevention, given that such services provide access to a substantial proportion of children during a key developmental period. Electronic Web-based interventions represent a novel way to support childcare service providers to implement such policies and practices. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess: (1) childcare centers’ current use of technology, (2) factors associated with intention to use electronic Web-based interventions, and (3) Web-based features that managers rated as useful to support staff with implementing healthy eating and physical activity-promoting policies and practices. MethodsA computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) was conducted with service managers from long day care centers and preschools. The CATI assessed the following: (1) childcare center characteristics, (2) childcare centers’ use of electronic devices, (3) intention to use a hypothetical electronic Web-based program—assessed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with ratings between 1 (strongly disagree) and 7 (strongly agree), and (4) features rated as useful to include in a Web-based program. ResultsOverall, 214 service centers out of 277 (77.3%) consented to participate. All service centers except 2 reported using computers (212/214, 99.1%), whereas 40.2% (86/214) used portable tablets. A total of 71.9% (151/210) of childcare service managers reported a score of 6 or more for intention to use a hypothetical electronic Web-based program. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, intention to use the program was significantly associated with perceived ease of use (P=.002, odds ratio [OR] 3.9, 95% CI 1.6-9.2) and perceived usefulness (P

The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a childcare-based intervention in increasing child physical activity by allowing children unrestricted access to outdoor areas for free-play when structured activity is not taking place. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six childcare services. Intervention services provided children unrestricted access outdoors for active free-play, while control services provided their usual scheduled periods of outdoor play. Consent was obtained from 231 children. Child moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), the primary trial outcome, was assessed via accelerometer at baseline and 3 months post baseline. Intervention effects were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models. Controlling for child age, gender and baseline outcome measure, at follow-up there were no significant differences between groups in minutes of MVPA in-care (mean difference: 4.85; 95% CI: -3.96, 13.66; P = 0.28), proportion of wear time in-care spent in MVPA (mean difference: 1.52%; 95% CI: -0.50, 3.53; P = 0.14) or total physical activity in-care (mean difference in counts per minute: 23.18; 95% CI: -4.26, 50.61; P = 0.10), nor on measures of child cognition (P = 0.45-0.91). It was concluded that interventions addressing multiple aspects of the childcare and home environment might provide the greatest potential to improve child physical activity.

Background: Identifying factors influencing the implementation of evidence-based environmental recommendations to promote physical activity in childcare services is required to develop effective implementation strategies. This systematic review aimed to: (1) identify barriers and facilitators reported by center-based childcare services impacting the implementation of environmental recommendations to increase physical activity among children, (2) synthesize these factors according to the 14 domains of the "Theoretical Domains Framework," and (3) report any associations between service or provider characteristics and the reported implementation of such recommendations. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in 6 scientific databases (eg, MEDLINE) and Google Scholar to identify studies reporting data from childcare staff or other stakeholders responsible for childcare operations. Included studies were based on childcare settings and published in English. From 2164 identified citations, 19 articles met the inclusion criteria (11 qualitative, 4 quantitative, and 4 mixed methods). Results: Across all articles, the majority of factors impacting implementation fell into the "environmental context and resources" domain (eg, time, equipment, and space; n = 19) and the "social influences" domain (eg, support from parents, colleagues, supervisors; n = 11). Conclusion: The current review provides guidance to improve the implementation of environmental recommendations in childcare services by addressing environmental, resource, and social barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Adolescence is an established period of physical activity decline. Multi-component school-based interventions have the potential to slow the decline in adolescents’ physical activity; however, few interventions have been conducted in schools located in low-income or disadvantaged communities. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multi-component school-based intervention in reducing the decline in physical activity among students attending secondary schools located in disadvantaged communities. Methods/Design The cluster randomised trial will be conducted with 10 secondary schools located in selected regions of New South Wales, Australia. The schools will be selected from areas that have a level of socio-economic status that is below the state average. Five schools will be allocated to receive an intervention based on the Health Promoting Schools framework, and will be supported by a part-time physical activity consultant placed in intervention schools who will implement a range of intervention adoption strategies. Study measures will be taken at baseline when students are in Year 7 (12–13 years) and again after 12- and 24-months. The primary outcome, minutes of moderate- to-vigorous- intensity physical activity per day and percentage of time in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), will be objectively assessed using accelerometers (Actigraph GT3x+). Group allocation and intervention delivery will commence after baseline data collection. The intervention will continue during school terms through to 24-month follow-up. Discussion The study will provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a multi-component school-based intervention that includes an in-school physical activity consultant targeting the physical activity levels of adolescents in disadvantaged Australian secondary schools. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000382875.

Aim: To describe parent-reported child: (i) sleep duration; (ii) sleep quality; (iii) sleep hygiene practices; and (iv) the proportion of children meeting sleep duration recommendations.Methods: A convenience sample of parents of Australian pre-school-aged children (3-5 years) were surveyed from the Hunter New England region of New South Wales. The cross-sectional survey was conducted via computer-assisted telephone interview. The survey assessed parent and child demographic characteristics and parent-reported child sleep duration, quality and sleep hygiene practices.Results: A total of 488 eligible parents or guardians took part in the study. Parents reported that children slept an average of 11.03 h per night. Approximately 96% of children met daily sleep duration recommendations from sleep guidelines for their age group. The majority of parents reported that their child had 'good' sleep quality (86.89%). Almost 40% reported that their child woke at least once a night. Sleep hygiene practices were relatively well established; however, a small proportion of parents indicated that they had no rules surrounding bedtime (13.52%) or television use before bed (14.52%).Conclusions: The current study describes the sleep duration, quality and sleep hygiene practices of a sample of pre-school-aged children in New South Wales, Australia. Future research using objective measures of sleep duration and hygiene, as well as assessing a broader spectrum of sleep hygiene practices, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]