Journal Article

Parents' and staff's views of adapting the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Childcare in UK nurseries to improve physical activity and healthy eating

Wells, Sian, Campbell, Rona, Brockman, Rowan, White, James, Ward, Dianne, Jago, Russell, Metcalfe, Chris, Kipping, Ruth, Papadaki, Angeliki, Hollingworth, William, Moore, Laurence

2016

Overview

Most children in the UK attend formal childcare from the age of 3 years, so it is important that these settings promote healthy behaviours and reduce risk of obesity. The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Childcare (NAP SACC) programme works with nurseries to produce changes in the environment and improvements in children's nutrition and physical activity. Randomised controlled trials have demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of NAP SACC in the USA, but not in the UK. This study aimed to adapt NAP SACC for use in the UK and to develop a home component to involve parents for use in a feasibility trial (NAP SACC UK). A purposive sample of 16 nurseries in North Somerset and Cardiff were invited to inform the development of NAP SACC UK. The areas were selected to include a range of ethnicity, deprivation, and rural and urban areas. 12 nurseries consented to participate. Health visitors and early years' staff participated in focus groups. Parents or carers with children aged 2–4 years at participating nurseries were invited to discuss parental involvement during telephone interviews. All interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Meaningful content was coded with thematic analysis. Five focus groups with early years' staff (n=17), ten nursery manager interviews, and 31 parent interviews were held. Staff were positive about the NAP SACC approach of self-assessment, use of action planning, and staff workshops. Although health-visitor involvement was welcomed, lack of capacity or knowledge to deliver workshops was a concern. Participants expressed concern about child oral health and interest in including it. Parents suggested involving the whole family in the home component and linking with themes in nurseries. Online tip-sharing forums for parents were also suggested. The approach used by NAP SACC was broadly acceptable to nurseries in the UK, with recommendations to deliver training and to include oral health. Parents welcomed support at home. Because North Somerset and Cardiff have different approaches to health improvement, and participants were recruited from a range of nurseries, the findings are to some extent generalisable to other areas within the UK. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (PHR 12/153/39). NIHR paid the salaries of SW and RB.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Child care / Collaboration / Eating behavior / Exercise / Internal Medicine / Medical research / Nutrition / Parents / Physical activity / Public health / Self evaluation / Self-assessment / Wages & salaries