Vorage Lieke, Vincze Lisa, Harris Neil
School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025 Sep;125(9):1376-1387. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2025.04.008. Epub 2025 Apr 24.
The nutrition and physical activity environment in early childhood education and care services impacts children's diet and physical activity, but this environment is not well understood in family child care (FCC) services.
This study examined the extent to which Australian FCC educators follow best practices for the nutrition and physical activity environment, including potential associations with their demographic characteristics.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September 2023 and October 2023.
PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 370 Australian FCC educators, who completed demographic questions before being randomly assigned to the nutrition environment (n = 210) or physical activity environment (n = 160) section of the survey.
The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation-Self Report tool assessed aspects of the nutrition and physical activity environment on a 0 to 3 scale, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to best practices.
Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the environment. Multiple linear regressions examined associations with demographic variables, including main language spoken at home, remoteness, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, the presence of written nutrition and physical activity policies at the FCC organization, and years of experience in early childhood education and care.
The mean ± SD scores were 2.6 ± 0.3 for feeding practices, 2.4 ± 0.5 for indoor play environment, 2.4 ± 0.5 for physical activity practices, 2.2 ± 0.4 for feeding environment, 1.9 ± 0.5 for outdoor play environment, 1.7 ± 0.6 for nutrition, and 1.7 ± 0.7 for physical activity education. Better socioeconomic conditions were associated with improved feeding practices and outdoor play environments. Having more years of experience working in early childhood education and care was associated with improved nutrition education and outdoor play environments. Having a nutrition or physical activity policy was associated with better education in these areas, and speaking a non-English language at home was associated with poorer feeding practices and outdoor play environments.
Enhancing outdoor play environments, providing educator training, implementing nutrition and physical activity policies, and supporting non-English-speaking, low-income, and inexperienced FCC educators could create better conditions for promoting healthy eating and physical activity within FCC.
幼儿教育与照料服务中的营养和身体活动环境会影响儿童的饮食和身体活动，但家庭儿童保育（FCC）服务中的这一环境尚未得到充分了解。
本研究调查了澳大利亚FCC教育工作者遵循营养和身体活动环境最佳实践的程度，包括与他们人口统计学特征的潜在关联。
于2023年9月至2023年10月进行了一项横断面在线调查。
参与者/环境：从370名澳大利亚FCC教育工作者的便利样本中收集数据，他们在被随机分配到调查的营养环境部分（n = 210）或身体活动环境部分（n = 160）之前完成了人口统计学问题。
环境与政策评估及观察 - 自我报告工具以0至3分的量表评估营养和身体活动环境的各个方面，分数越高表明对最佳实践的遵循程度越高。
描述性统计用于描述环境特征。多元线性回归分析了与人口统计学变量的关联，包括在家中说的主要语言、偏远程度、社会经济地位、教育程度、FCC机构是否存在书面营养和身体活动政策，以及幼儿教育与照料方面的工作年限。
喂养实践的平均 ± 标准差分数为2.6 ± 0.3，室内游戏环境为2.4 ± 0.5，身体活动实践为2.4 ± 0.5，喂养环境为2.2 ± 0.4，户外游戏环境为1.9 ± 0.5，营养为1.7 ± 0.6，体育活动教育为1.7 ± 0.7。更好的社会经济条件与更好的喂养实践和户外游戏环境相关。在幼儿教育与照料领域工作年限更长与更好的营养教育和户外游戏环境相关。拥有营养或身体活动政策与这些领域更好的教育相关，在家中说非英语语言与较差的喂养实践和户外游戏环境相关。
改善户外游戏环境、提供教育工作者培训、实施营养和身体活动政策，以及支持非英语母语、低收入和经验不足的FCC教育工作者，可以为在FCC中促进健康饮食和身体活动创造更好的条件。
