Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Cairns, Qld, Australia.
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Health Promot J Austr. 2021 Apr;32(2):163-171. doi: 10.1002/hpja.352. Epub 2020 Jun 20.
Good nutrition, physical activity and adequate sleep are essential for the healthy growth and development of young children. Due to complex cultural, historical, social factors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children face additional challenges to optimal health, particularly in remote areas of Australia. 'Learning, Eating, Active Play and Sleep' (LEAPS) was a Queensland-wide professional development program designed to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators to implement and reinforce healthy nutrition and physical activity in their services. This article describes the adaptation, implementation and evaluation of LEAPS for remote ECEC settings in Cape York.
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group was commissioned to provide advice about the appropriateness of the existing program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ECEC settings. Based on the advice of the Reference Group, the program was adapted for use in Cape York and was evaluated using the RE-AIM framework and a combination of data sources. Quantitative data provided information about changes to participant knowledge and confidence regarding nutrition and physical activity and in-depth interviews allowed further insights into enablers and challenges for successful program implementation.
A tailored LEAPS program increased participants' knowledge and confidence regarding nutrition and physical activity in ECEC settings. The importance of community consultation, building relationships and face-to-face delivery of training were highlighted as key enablers. The evaluation identified a number of challenges relating to competing priorities, limited support for ongoing implementation and adoption of improved practices. SO WHAT?: Poor nutrition and growth in children in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities indicates the need for the ongoing commitment to and investment in nutrition and physical activity across a range of community settings. To achieve success, this requires a dedicated preventative health workforce supporting evidence-informed, coordinated programs driven by community priorities and developed via community development approaches.
良好的营养、身体活动和充足的睡眠对于幼儿的健康成长和发育至关重要。由于复杂的文化、历史和社会因素，澳大利亚原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民儿童在获得最佳健康方面面临额外的挑战，尤其是在澳大利亚偏远地区。“学习、饮食、积极游戏和睡眠”（LEAPS）是一项昆士兰州范围内的专业发展计划，旨在支持幼儿教育和保育（ECEC）教育工作者在其服务中实施和加强健康营养和身体活动。本文描述了 LEAPS 在约克角偏远 ECEC 环境中的适应性、实施和评估。
委托一个原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民参考小组提供关于现有计划对原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民 ECEC 环境适宜性的意见。根据参考小组的建议，对该计划进行了调整，以便在约克角使用，并使用 RE-AIM 框架和多种数据源进行评估。定量数据提供了有关参与者在营养和身体活动方面的知识和信心变化的信息，深入访谈则进一步深入了解了成功实施计划的促进因素和挑战。
量身定制的 LEAPS 计划提高了参与者在 ECEC 环境中对营养和身体活动的知识和信心。社区咨询、建立关系和面对面培训交付的重要性被强调为关键的促进因素。评估确定了与竞争优先事项、对持续实施的支持有限以及对改进实践的采用相关的一些挑战。那么：偏远地区的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民社区中儿童的营养和生长状况不佳表明，需要在一系列社区环境中持续承诺和投资于营养和身体活动。要取得成功，这需要一个专门的预防保健劳动力来支持基于证据的、协调的计划，这些计划由社区优先事项驱动，并通过社区发展方法制定。
