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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.

Issue Addressed Methods Results Conclusions So What? Effective dissemination of public health research and evidence‐based guidelines to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff is critical for promoting research transfer and uptake and achieving positive outcomes for children.A cross‐sectional study was conducted during August 2021 to March 2022, with a sub‐sample of Australian ECEC services participating in a larger survey completed online and via Computer‐Assisted Telephone Interview. Survey items assessed: influential source for receiving research, type of content that would influence decisions to adopt research and preferred formats for receiving research.Overall, 993 service managers or staff from 1984 (50.0%) invited and eligible services completed the larger survey. Of these, 463 randomly allocated services (46.7%) had staff complete the dissemination items. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, ECEC agencies and Government Departments were most frequently selected as influential sources of research evidence. Staff were most interested in content providing evidence‐based recommendations for future actions and descriptions of health issues addressed. Workshops or conferences and webinars were the preferred format for receiving research.Findings highlight the importance of tailoring dissemination strategies to meet ECEC staff needs and engaging influential sources to disseminate research evidence.Understanding dissemination preferences of ECEC staff is crucial for supporting uptake of evidence‐based health promotion in this setting. By developing tailored strategies based on ECEC preferences, research transfer and evidence‐based decision making can be supported more effectively. These findings contribute to bridging the evidence‐practice gap and improving the quality of care and health outcomes for children in ECEC settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Purpose: This evidence and gap map collates evidence reporting on the effectiveness of interventions aimed to prevent, disclose, respond to, or treat child maltreatment occurring in institutional settings. Methods: A comprehensive and systematic literature search identified primary studies and systematic reviews meeting the review's eligibility criteria. Literature screening, data extraction and critical appraisals were undertaken independently by multiple reviewers. Data extracted and reported from the included studies included information about the institutional setting, target population, type of maltreatment, intervention type and outcomes. Results: Seventy-three studies were identified, including 11 systematic reviews and 62 primary studies. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was low to moderate. Most evaluated curriculum-based interventions delivered in educational settings, primarily aimed at preventing sexual abuse. Fewer studies examined other institutional settings or intervention types. Conclusions: This review highlights a need for high-quality studies evaluating a more diverse range of interventions across more varied institutional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on health risk factors of conditions of considerable burden of disease. Topics include Cochrane systematic reviews summarizing evidence in supporting decision making about public health policy, practice and individual health behaviour; and potential benefits of systematic reviews being maximized while addressing priority public health issues.

Abstract Objective: To describe the development and reproducibility of a self-report instrument, for use with children in years 4-6, to identify sources of food eaten during the day, and type [...]

Objective: To identify sources of food eaten during the school day, the types of foods and frequency of purchases from the canteen and association with SES and weight status in primary school-aged children. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Primary schools were randomly selected from a list of government schools and 5,206 students in years 1-6 from the 16 participating schools were invited to participate in the study. Results: Findings show the majority of children in the study bring their recess snack and lunch from home. However, the majority of children do use the school canteen and less healthy foods and high-sugar drinks are commonly purchased. Conclusions: This study confirms the relevance of the school canteen as a means of affecting children's eating habits. Implications: Improvement in the foods sold through schools provides an important contribution to model supportive environments for healthy food choices. Strategies should also be directed towards affecting the content of lunchboxes and the home environment.