Improving the implementation of nutrition guidelines in childcare centres improves child dietary intake: findings of a randomised trial of an implementation intervention

Abstract

Objective

Evidence suggests that improvements to the childcare nutrition environment can have a positive impact on child dietary intake. The primary aim of the present study was to assess, relative to usual care, the effectiveness of a multi-strategy implementation intervention in improving childcare compliance with nutrition guidelines. As a secondary aim, the impact on child dietary intake was assessed.

Design

Parallel-group, randomised controlled trial design. The 6-month intervention was designed to overcome barriers to implementation of the nutrition guidelines that had been identified by applying the theoretical domains framework.

Setting

Hunter New England region, New South Wales, Australia.

Subjects

Forty-five centre-based childcare services.

Results

There were no differences between groups in the proportion of services providing food servings (per child) compliant with nutrition guideline recommendations for all five (5/5) food groups at follow-up (i.e. full compliance). Relative to control services, intervention services were more likely to be compliant with guidelines (OR; 95 % CI) in provision of fruit (10·84; 1·19, 551·20; P=0·0024), meat and meat alternatives (8·83; 1·55, –; P=0·023), dairy (8·41; 1·60, 63·62; P=0·006) and discretionary foods (17·83; 2·15, 853·73; P=0·002). Children in intervention services consumed greater servings (adjusted difference; 95 % CI) of fruit (0·41; 0·09, 0·73; P=0·014) and vegetables (0·70; 0·33, 1·08; P<0·001).

Conclusions

Findings indicate that service-level changes to menus in line with dietary guidelines can result in improvements to children’s dietary intake. The study provides evidence to advance implementation research in the setting as a means of enhancing child public health nutrition.