Implementation Factors and Teacher Experience of the Integrated Nutrition Education Program: A Mixed Methods Program...

Area of Science:

• Dissemination and Implementation Science
• Public Health Interventions
• Childhood Obesity Research

Background:

• School-based programs are common for addressing childhood obesity, but evidence of effectiveness is inconsistent.
• Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science offers a framework to better understand program effectiveness.
• A mixed-methods approach provides deeper insights into program implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Integrated Nutrition Education Program (INEP), an elementary school-based nutrition program.
• To examine how implementation factors and teacher experiences influence INEP's success and outcomes.
• To utilize a mixed-methods design for comprehensive evaluation.

Main Methods:

• The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework guided the evaluation.
• Quantitative analysis involved hierarchical linear regression on teacher survey data.
• Qualitative analysis used constant comparison of teacher interviews.

Main Results:

• Quantitative data revealed workload and burden as significant implementation factors.
• Qualitative interviews identified additional crucial factors for program adoption, implementation, and maintenance.
• Teacher perceptions of program impact were analyzed in relation to D&I variables.

Conclusions:

• Findings can inform improvements for the INEP program.
• Results offer insights for enhancing the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of similar school-based health programs.
• Understanding implementation factors is key to successful school health interventions.