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).

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.

Implementation of a School Physical Activity Policy Improves Student Physical Activity Levels: Outcomes of a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aim: To assess the impact of a multistrategy intervention designed to improve teachers' implementation of a school physical activity (PA) policy on student PA levels.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 12 elementary schools. Policy implementation required schools to deliver 150 minutes of organized PA for students each week via physical education, sport, or class-based activities such as energizers.

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.

A cross-sectional study to determine the energy density and nutritional quality of primary-school children's lunchboxes.

Objective: The present study describes the energy content of primary-school children's lunchboxes and the proportion of lunchbox foods considered discretionary. Subgroup analyses by sex, socio-economic status, age and weight status were undertaken.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted.

A randomized controlled trial to assess the potential efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of an m-health intervention targeting parents of school aged children to improve the nutritional quality of foods packed in the lunchbox 'SWAP IT'.

Background: Scalable interventions that improve the nutritional quality of foods in children's lunchboxes have considerable potential to improve child public health nutrition. This study assessed the potential efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of an m-health intervention, 'SWAP IT', to improve the energy and nutritional quality of foods packed in children's lunchboxes.

Methods: The study employed a 2X2 factorial cluster randomized-controlled trial design.

Cluster randomised controlled trial of an m-health intervention in centre-based childcare services to reduce the packing of discretionary foods in children's lunchboxes: study protocol for the 'SWAP IT Childcare' trial.

Introduction: In many developed nations, including Australia, a substantial number of children aged under 5 years attend centre-based childcare services that require parents to pack food in lunchboxes. These lunchboxes often contain excessive amounts of unhealthy ('discretionary') foods. This study aims to assess the impact of a mobile health (m-health) intervention on reducing the packing of discretionary foods in children's childcare lunchboxes.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase the implementation of school physical activity policies and guidelines: study protocol for the physically active children in education (PACE) study.

Background: In an attempt to improve children's physical activity levels governments have introduced policies specifying the minimum time schools are to schedule physical activity each week. Despite this, the majority of schools in many jurisdictions fail to implement these policies. This study will assess the effectiveness of a multi-component implementation strategy on increasing the minutes of planned physical activity scheduled by primary school teachers each week.