Chan Jacqueline, Hyde-Page Alexander, Phongsavan Philayrath, Raubenheimer David, Allman-Farinelli Margaret
Nutrition and Dietetics Group, Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Health Promot J Austr. 2025 Oct;36(4):e70098. doi: 10.1002/hpja.70098.
The early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting provides a critical opportunity to reach young children and families to support optimal nutrition and development. Despite the abundance of healthy eating interventions delivered in this setting, the most effective ways to improve children's diets remain unclear. These efforts are hindered by our limited understanding of the complex set of factors that influence the successful implementation of healthy eating interventions. This study aims to explore early childhood educator and cooks' experiences of the contextual factors influencing the implementation of healthy eating policies and practices.
A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 10 educators and cooks from New South Wales, Australia. The Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research was used to guide data collection. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Educators and cooks expressed commitment to implementing healthy eating policies and described support from directors and local health services. However, ECEC sector conditions inhibited implementation success. Barriers to implementation included inadequate collaboration between management, educators, cooks and parents; limited opportunities for partnerships and networking within the ECEC sector and beyond; and insufficient nutrition education and training.
Addressing broader systems-level factors by strengthening work infrastructure, partnerships, and nutrition education and training opportunities is necessary to improve the implementation success of healthy eating policies and practices in the ECEC sector. SO WHAT?: Findings can inform policymakers to consider barriers faced by ECEC staff in implementing healthy eating interventions.
幼儿教育与保育（ECEC）环境为接触幼儿及其家庭以支持最佳营养和发展提供了关键契机。尽管在这种环境中开展了大量促进健康饮食的干预措施，但改善儿童饮食的最有效方法仍不明确。我们对影响健康饮食干预措施成功实施的一系列复杂因素了解有限，这阻碍了这些努力。本研究旨在探讨幼儿教育工作者和厨师在影响健康饮食政策与实践实施的背景因素方面的经验。
对来自澳大利亚新南威尔士州的10名教育工作者和厨师进行了一项采用半结构化访谈的定性研究。运用实施研究综合框架指导数据收集。采用反思性主题分析法对数据进行分析。
教育工作者和厨师表示致力于实施健康饮食政策，并描述了来自主管和当地卫生服务机构的支持。然而，幼儿教育与保育部门的状况阻碍了实施的成功。实施的障碍包括管理层、教育工作者、厨师和家长之间合作不足；幼儿教育与保育部门内部及外部建立伙伴关系和网络的机会有限；以及营养教育和培训不足。
通过加强工作基础设施、伙伴关系以及营养教育和培训机会来解决更广泛的系统层面因素，对于提高幼儿教育与保育部门健康饮食政策与实践的实施成功率是必要的。那又如何？研究结果可为政策制定者提供参考，使其考虑幼儿教育与保育工作人员在实施健康饮食干预措施时所面临的障碍。
