Evaluation of a long day care intervention targeting the mealtime environment and curriculum to increase children’s vegetable intake

A cluster randomised controlled trial using the multiphase optimisation strategy framework

Bibliographic Data

ID15092189
AuthorsSamantha Morgillo (Flinders University, corresponding author), Lucinda Bell (0000-0001-7251-9176, Flinders University), Claire Gardner (Flinders University), Shabnam Kashef (0000-0002-2350-9665, Flinders University), Karen Stafford, Dorota Zarnowiecki (0000-0003-0874-7830, Flinders University), A A M Poelman (0000-0003-2286-9885, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity), Astrid AM Poelman, Maeva O Cochet-Broch, Maeva Cochet‐Broch (0000-0002-3603-2253, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Brittany J Johnson (0000-0001-5492-9219, Flinders University), Aarti Gulyani (0000-0003-3388-1476, Flinders University), David N Cox (0000-0001-7625-0098, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity), Rebecca K Golley (0000-0001-5197-7987, Flinders University)
Year2024
Volume27
Issue1
Pagese87-e87
Publication date2024-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980024000557
PMID38404253
OpenAlexW4392167449
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited34

Objective: To determine the reach, adoption, implementation and effectiveness of an intervention to increase children’s vegetable intake in long day care (LDC). Design: A 12-week pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial, informed by the multiphase optimisation strategy (MOST), targeting the mealtime environment and curriculum. Children’s vegetable intake and variety was measured at follow-up using a modified Short Food Survey for early childhood education and care and analysed using a two-part mixed model for non-vegetable and vegetable consumers. Outcome measures were based on the RE-AIM framework. Setting: Australian LDC centres. Participants: Thirty-nine centres, 120 educators and 719 children at follow-up. Results: There was no difference between intervention and waitlist control groups in the likelihood of consuming any vegetables when compared with non-vegetable consumers for intake (OR = 0·70, (95 % CI 0·34–1·43), P = 0·32) or variety (OR = 0·73 (95 % CI 0·40–1·32), P = 0·29). Among vegetable consumers ( n 652), there was no difference between groups in vegetable variety (exp(b): 1·07 (95 % CI:0·88–1·32, P = 0·49) or vegetable intake (exp(b): 1·06 (95 % CI: 0·78, 1·43)), P = 0·71) with an average of 1·51 (95 % CI 1·20–1·82) and 1·40 (95 % CI 1·08–1·72) serves of vegetables per day in the intervention and control group, respectively. Intervention educators reported higher skills for promoting vegetables at mealtimes, and knowledge and skills for teaching the curriculum, than control (all P n 16/20 and n 15/16 centres used the Mealtime environment and Curriculum, respectively) with good acceptability among educators. The intervention reached 307/8556 centres nationally and was adopted by 22 % eligible centres. Conclusions: The pragmatic self-delivered online intervention positively impacted educator’s knowledge and skills and was considered acceptable and feasible. Intervention adaptations, using the MOST cyclic approach, could improve intervention impact on children’ vegetable intake

Cluster (spacecraft · Cluster randomised controlled trial · Environmental health · Intervention (counseling · Randomized controlled trial · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues · Computer Science · Medicine · Nursing · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics

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