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Grady A, Jackson J, Wolfenden L, Lum M, Yoong SL. Assessing the scalability of healthy eating interventions within the early childhood education and care setting: secondary analysis of a Cochrane systematic review. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:3211-3229. [PMID: 37990443 PMCID: PMC10755435 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980023002550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a recommended setting for the delivery of health eating interventions 'at scale' (i.e. to large numbers of childcare services) to improve child public health nutrition. Appraisal of the 'scalability' (suitability for delivery at scale) of interventions is recommended to guide public health decision-making. This study describes the extent to which factors required to assess scalability are reported among ECEC-based healthy eating interventions. DESIGN Studies from a recent Cochrane systematic review assessing the effectiveness of healthy eating interventions delivered in ECEC for improving child dietary intake were included. The reporting of factors of scalability was assessed against domains outlined within the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT). The tool recommends decision makers consider the problem, the intervention, strategic and political context, effectiveness, costs, fidelity and adaptation, reach and acceptability, delivery setting and workforce, implementation infrastructure and sustainability. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. SETTING ECEC. PARTICIPANTS Children 6 months to 6 years. RESULTS Of thirty-eight included studies, none reported all factors within the ISAT. All studies reported the problem, the intervention, effectiveness and the delivery workforce and setting. The lowest reported domains were intervention costs (13 % of studies) and sustainability (16 % of studies). CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate there is a lack of reporting of some key factors of scalability for ECEC-based healthy eating interventions. Future studies should measure and report such factors to support policy and practice decision makers when selecting interventions to be scaled-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Grady
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
- Population Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, Australia
- Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia
- National Centre of Implementation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Jacklyn Jackson
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
- Population Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, Australia
- National Centre of Implementation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Luke Wolfenden
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
- Population Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, Australia
- Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia
- National Centre of Implementation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Melanie Lum
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
- Population Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, Australia
- Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia
- National Centre of Implementation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Sze Lin Yoong
- Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia
- National Centre of Implementation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
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