Learning health systems to implement chronic disease prevention programs: A novel framework and perspectives from an Australian health service.

Background: Chronic diseases are a considerable burden to health systems, communities, and patients. Much of this burden, however, could be prevented if interventions effective in reducing chronic disease risks were routinely implemented.

Aims: The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of public health agencies in preventing chronic disease through the application of learning health system (LHS) approaches to improve the implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Barriers and facilitators to dissemination of non-communicable diseases research: a mixed studies systematic review.

Background: There is a large number of research studies about the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), with findings taking several years to be translated into practice. One reason for this lack of translation is a limited understanding of how to best disseminate NCD research findings to user-groups in a way that is salient and useful. An understanding of barriers and facilitators to dissemination is key to informing the development of strategies to increase dissemination.

Supporting the next generation of prevention research leaders to conduct effective research-policy partnerships.

Successful research-policy partnerships rely on shared vision, dedicated investment, and mutual benefits. To ensure the ongoing value of chronic disease prevention research, and support research translation and impact, Australia needs funding, university, and policy systems that incentivise and support emerging leaders to drive effective partnerships.

The Effectiveness of Strategies to Improve User Engagement With Digital Health Interventions Targeting Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Overweight and Obesity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Digital health interventions (DHIs) are effective in improving poor nutrition, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity. There is evidence suggesting that the impact of DHIs may be enhanced by improving user engagement. However, little is known about the overall effectiveness of strategies on engagement with DHIs.

Dissemination of public health research evidence and guidelines to Australian Early Childhood Education and Care staff: Views about source, content and format.

Issue Addressed: Effective dissemination of public health research and evidence-based guidelines to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff is critical for promoting research transfer and uptake and achieving positive outcomes for children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during August 2021 to March 2022, with a sub-sample of Australian ECEC services participating in a larger survey completed online and via Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview. Survey items assessed: influential source for receiving research, type of content that would influence decisions to adopt research and preferred formats for receiving research.

Improving academic and public health impact of Cochrane public health reviews: what can we learn from bibliographic metrics and author dissemination strategies? A cross-sectional study.

Background: To facilitate the development of impactful research dissemination strategies, this study aimed to: (i) survey authors of trials included in a sample of Cochrane reviews to describe strategies to disseminate trial findings, and examine their association with academic and policy impacts and (ii) audit academic and policy impact of CPH reviews.

Methods: Authors of 104 trials within identified Cochrane reviews completed survey items assessing the dissemination strategies. Field weighted citation (FWCI) data extracted from bibliographic databases served as a measure of academic impact of trials and CPH reviews.

Dissemination of public health research to prevent non-communicable diseases: a scoping review.

Background: Dissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in order to improve health outcomes. However, evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe the scientific literature examining strategies to disseminate public health evidence related to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Describing the evidence-base for research engagement by health care providers and health care organisations: a scoping review.

Background: Having a research-engaged health and medical workforce is associated with improvements in clinical outcomes for patients. As such, there has been significant government investment internationally to support health care organisations and services to increase staff engagement with research.

Objectives: This scoping review sought to provide an overview of the literature describing strategies employed to increase research engagement by health care providers and organisations, and to undertake a qualitative analysis to generate a list of research engagement strategies.

An mHealth Intervention to Reduce the Packing of Discretionary Foods in Children's Lunch Boxes in Early Childhood Education and Care Services: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Interventions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services have the potential to improve children's diet at the population level.

Objective: This study aims to test the efficacy of a mobile health intervention in ECEC services to reduce parent packing of foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium (discretionary foods) in children's (aged 3-6 years) lunch boxes.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken with 355 parent and child dyads recruited by phone and in person from 17 ECEC services (8 [47%] intervention and 9 [53%] control services).

Interventions that address institutional child maltreatment: An evidence and gap map.

Background: Child maltreatment has serious short and long-term negative impacts for those experiencing it. Child maltreatment occurring in institutional settings has recently received substantial attention. However, evidence about the effectiveness of interventions that prevent, disclose, respond to, or treat maltreatment that has occurred in these environments is fragmented and can be difficult to access.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of a secondary school intervention to reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages: Mid-intervention impact of switchURsip environmental strategies.

Issue Addressed: Secondary schools provide an opportune setting for interventions addressing excessive sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in adolescence. This trial aimed to assess the impact of school environmental strategies, delivered as part of a broader intervention, among Year 7-9 students' SSB consumption.

Methods: Between March and July 2018, we conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial with 862 students attending six secondary schools (3 intervention and 3 control) in New South Wales.

Economic evaluation of a web-based menu planning intervention to improve childcare service adherence with dietary guidelines.

Background: Despite the known benefits of healthy eating in childhood, few Australian childcare services provide food that is consistent with dietary guidelines. The effectiveness of a web-based menu planning intervention to increase childcare service provision of healthy foods and decrease provision of discretionary foods in long day-care services in Australia was assessed in a randomised controlled trial. Here we consider the costs, consequences, cost-effectiveness and budget impact of the intervention using data collected within the trial.

Assessing the implementation of healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices in the family day care setting: A cross-sectional study.

Issue Addressed: While the family day care setting provides a unique opportunity to improve child health, few studies have assessed obesity prevention practices of this setting. This study aimed to examine the (a) prevalence of implementation of evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices among schemes (ie overarching governing agency) and educators in the family day care setting in Australia; and (b) associations between educator socio-demographic characteristics and implementation of healthy eating and physical activity practices.

Methods: Family day care schemes (n = 16) responsible for educators (n = 174) located in the Hunter New England region of NSW participated in a telephone survey in 2018, reporting their implementation of evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices.

A cross-sectional study of packed lunchbox foods and their consumption by children in early childhood education and care services.

Aim: To (a) describe lunchbox foods packed and consumed by children attending early childhood education and care services; (b) compare the serves of foods packed and consumed with nutrition guideline recommendations; and (c) explore associations between parent characteristics and serves of food groups packed in lunchboxes.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on a sample of early childhood education and care services where parents provide food in the Hunter New England region of NSW, Australia. Lunchbox contents were assessed using photography and pre- and post-meal weights.

A Three-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial of High- and Low-Intensity Implementation Strategies to Support Centre-Based Childcare Service Implementation of Nutrition Guidelines: 12-Month Follow-Up.

The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a suite of implementation strategies of varying intensities on centre-based childcare service implementation of nutrition guideline recommendations at 12-month follow-up. A six-month three-arm parallel group randomised controlled trial was undertaken with 69 services, randomised to one of three arms: high-intensity strategies (executive support; group face-to-face training; provision of resources; multiple rounds of audit and feedback; ongoing face-to-face and phone support); low-intensity strategies (group face-to-face training; provision of resources; single round of audit and feedback); or usual care control. Across all study arms, only three high-intensity services were compliant with overall nutrition guidelines.

Adaptation, acceptability and feasibility of a Short Food Survey to assess the dietary intake of children during attendance at childcare.

Objective: To (i) describe the adaptation of the Short Food Survey (SFS) for assessing the dietary intake of children (2-5 years) during attendance at Early Childhood Education and Care (SFS-ECEC); (ii) determine the acceptability and feasibility of the SFS-ECEC; and (iii) compare the SFS-ECEC to direct observations for assessing dietary intake of children in care.

Design: The adapted forty-seven-item SFS-ECEC was completed by childcare educators to capture individual child's usual intake over the past month. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed via educator self-report and completion rates.

Child-level evaluation of a web-based intervention to improve dietary guideline implementation in childcare centers: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although it is recommended that childcare centers provide foods consistent with dietary guidelines, the impact of implementing sector-specific guidelines on child outcomes is largely unknown.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the impact of a web-based program and support to implement dietary guidelines in childcare centers on children's 1) diet; 2) BMI z scores; and 3) child health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: This study was a cluster-randomized controlled trial utilizing a Type-3 Hybrid implementation-effectiveness design conducted between October 2016 and March 2018.

Strategies to improve the implementation of healthy eating, physical activity and obesity prevention policies, practices or programmes within childcare services.

Background: Despite the existence of effective interventions and best-practice guideline recommendations for childcare services to implement evidence-based policies, practices and programmes to promote child healthy eating, physical activity and prevent unhealthy weight gain, many services fail to do so.

Objectives: The primary aim of the review was to examine the effectiveness of strategies aimed at improving the implementation of policies, practices or programmes by childcare services that promote child healthy eating, physical activity and/or obesity prevention. The secondary aims of the review were to: 1.

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Menu-Planning Intervention to Improve Childcare Service Compliance With Dietary Guidelines: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Foods provided in childcare services are not consistent with dietary guideline recommendations. Web-based systems offer unique opportunities to support the implementation of such guidelines.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Web-based menu planning intervention in increasing the mean number of food groups on childcare service menus that comply with dietary guidelines.

Barriers to and Facilitators of the Implementation of Environmental Recommendations to Encourage Physical Activity in Center-Based Childcare Services: A Systematic Review.

Background: Identifying factors influencing the implementation of evidence-based environmental recommendations to promote physical activity in childcare services is required to develop effective implementation strategies. This systematic review aimed to: (1) identify barriers and facilitators reported by center-based childcare services impacting the implementation of environmental recommendations to increase physical activity among children, (2) synthesize these factors according to the 14 domains of the "Theoretical Domains Framework," and (3) report any associations between service or provider characteristics and the reported implementation of such recommendations.

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in 6 scientific databases (eg, MEDLINE) and Google Scholar to identify studies reporting data from childcare staff or other stakeholders responsible for childcare operations.

Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care - factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines.

Issue Addressed: Despite recommendations, early childhood education and care services do not plan menus in accordance with sector dietary guidelines. This study aimed to examine the following among Australian long day care services: (a) menu planning practices; (b) prevalence of menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines; and (c) menu planning practices associated with higher menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines.

Methods: Long day care services within Hunter New England, NSW participated in a pen and paper survey assessing menu planning practices and socio-demographic and service characteristics.

Implementation of continuous free play schedules in Australian childcare services: A cross-sectional study.

Issue Addressed: Modifying the scheduling of physical activity opportunities to provide children with more frequent opportunities for outdoor free play has been demonstrated to increase child physical activity while in care. The primary aim of this study was to describe the implementation of continuous free play schedules to allow children to access outdoor play areas, consistent with sector guidelines in a national sample of Australian childcare services. Secondary aims were to investigate the associations between the implementation of such schedules and service characteristics, and assess the perceived barriers and enablers to implementation.