Randomised study demonstrates sustained benefits of a pre-school intervention designed to improve nutrition and physical activity practices

Authors

Diewerke de Zwarte, Technological University DublinFollow
John Kearney, Technological University DublinFollow
Clare A. Corish, University College Dublin
Corina Glennon, Health Service Executive, Ireland
Lorraine Maher, Health Service Executive, Ireland
Charlotte Johnston Molloy, Health Service Executive, Ireland

Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

3.3 HEALTH SCIENCES, Public and environmental health

Publication Details

Journal of Public Health (Oxford)

Abstract

Background: Health-promoting programmes must demonstrate sustained efficacy in order to make a true impact on public health. This study aimed to determine the effect of the Healthy Incentive for Pre-schools project on health-promoting practices in full-day-care pre-schools 18 months after a training intervention.

Methods: Thirty-seven pre-schools completed the initial study and were included in this follow-up study. The intervention consisted of one training session with either the pre-school 'manager-only' or 'manager and staff' using a specifically developed needs-based training resource pack comprised of written educational material and a validated health-promoting practice evaluation tool. Direct observation data of health-promoting practices were collected and allocated a score using the evaluation tool by a research dietitian at three time points; pre-intervention, between 6 and 9 months post-intervention and at 18-month follow-up. An award system was used to incentivise pre-schools to improve their scores.

Results: Health-promoting practice scores improved significantly (P < 0.001) from the 6-9 month post-intervention to the 18-month follow-up evaluation. No significant differences were observed between 'manager-only' and 'manager and staff' trained pre-schools.

Conclusions: The introduction of a pre-school evaluation tool supported by a training resource was successfully used to incentivise pre-schools to sustain and improve health-promoting practices 18 months after intervention training.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdy173

Recommended Citation

de Zwarte D, Kearney J, Corish CA, Glennon C, Maher L, Johnston Molloy C. Randomised study demonstrates sustained benefits of a pre-school intervention designed to improve nutrition and physical activity practices. J Public Health (Oxf). 2019 Dec 20;41(4):798-806. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdy173. PMID: 30281073.

Funder

Health Service Executive, Ireland