Implementation of policies and practices to increase physical activity among children attending centre-based...

Area of Science:

• Child Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Early Childhood Education

Background:

• Centre-based childcare services are key settings for promoting child physical activity (PA).
• Implementing PA policies and practices in childcare is recommended to improve children's health outcomes.
• Understanding current implementation levels and associated factors is crucial for targeted support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of PA policies and practices in Australian childcare services.
• To examine associations between service characteristics and the implementation of PA policies and practices.

Main Methods:

• Telephone interviews were conducted with 309 nominated supervisors of childcare services in New South Wales, Australia.
• Validated measures assessed the implementation of key PA practices: active play opportunities, equipment availability, fundamental movement skills, staff training in PA promotion, and written PA policies.
• Service characteristics including type, size, socio-economic disadvantage, and location were considered.

Main Results:

• While 98% of services provided active play opportunities, only 8% fully implemented all assessed PA policies and practices.
• No specific service characteristic was significantly associated with the full implementation of all PA policies and practices.
• Long day care services showed higher odds of having a written PA policy compared to preschools.

Conclusions:

• Childcare services require enhanced support to effectively implement comprehensive PA-promoting policies and practices.
• Improvements in childcare operations are necessary to maximize the benefits of PA for child health.
• Targeted interventions are needed to ensure widespread adoption of evidence-based PA strategies in early childhood settings.