Contextual Influences on the Success of Healthy Eating Policies and Practices in Australian Early Childhood Education Centres: A Qualitative Study with Directors.
Background/Objectives: Early childhood education and care is an ideal setting to promote healthy eating behaviours in young children. However, successful implementation and sustainment of healthy eating policies and practices remains a key challenge in the Australian early childhood education and ca...
| Publicado en: | Nutrients Vol. 17; no. 16; pp. 2661 - 2677 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
MDPI
Aug2025
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=187618563&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 187618563 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 20726643 B0TT jtl: Nutrients issn: 20726643 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Aug2025 vid: 17 iid: 16 pid: 97109 pub: MDPI artinfo: ui: 187618563 187618563 187618563 10.3390/nu17162661 187618563 ppf: 2661 ppct: 16 formats: tig: atl: Contextual Influences on the Success of Healthy Eating Policies and Practices in Australian Early Childhood Education Centres: A Qualitative Study with Directors. aug: au: Chan, Jacqueline Hyde-Page, Alexander Phongsavan, Philayrath Raubenheimer, David Allman-Farinelli, Margaret affil: Nutrition and Dietetics Group, Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia sug: subj: Health Food Eating Behavior In Infancy and Childhood Nutrition Policy Success Evaluation Program Implementation Administrative Personnel Psychosocial Factors Early Childhood Intervention Organizations Human Child Adolescence Adult Middle Age Male Female New South Wales Qualitative Studies Day Care Semi-Structured Interview Thematic Analysis Conceptual Framework Implementation Science Descriptive Statistics Government Agencies Child Care Health Promotion School Health Services Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Male Female ab: Background/Objectives: Early childhood education and care is an ideal setting to promote healthy eating behaviours in young children. However, successful implementation and sustainment of healthy eating policies and practices remains a key challenge in the Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) context. This study aimed to understand the contextual factors influencing early childhood education directors' decisions to implement healthy eating policies and practices. Methods: Twelve directors from centre-based long day care centres in New South Wales, Australia, participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research. Results: Directors (n = 12) described alignment with centre values and goals, compatibility with work infrastructure, local champions to lead implementation, and external partnerships with government support services as key facilitators. Directors identified a need for further support to address factors within the broader ECEC sector. Directors described a lack of external partnerships with the community, competing demands for available resources, unrealistic expectations from guidelines and parents, and inconsistent practices across settings as factors inhibiting implementation success. Conclusions: Implementation and sustainment of healthy eating policies and practices can be improved by strengthening parent and community partnerships, investment in the workforce, and a coordinated approach to the provision of support. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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