Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2022-11
Educators’ Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Policy Implementation in the Childcare Setting: Qualitative Findings From the Play Active Project
We explored childcare educators’ perceived barriers and facilitators to policy implementation in order to inform the development and implementation of an early childhood education and care (ECEC) specific physical activity policy. This study was part of the Play Active (2019-2023) project which aimed to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based physical activity policy to improve physical activity levels in children attending ECEC.
Approach
Stakeholder focus groups. Setting: ECEC centers in Perth, Western Australia. Sample: Educators (n=66) from 11 ECEC centers participated in 13 focus groups (August-September 2019).
Methods
Semi-structured questions explored educators’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing a new physical activity policy. A qualitative descriptive approach within a naturalistic framework informed data analysis. Focus group data were reviewed and grouped through several iterations to produce core themes.
Results
Four core themes resulted from focus groups: (1) leadership; (2) educator mindset: (3) parent engagement; and (4) organisational and educator capacity. Educators needed supportive leadership and a commitment of resources for physical activity policy implementation. Educators acknowledged physical activity practices can be influenced by knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and change capacity and stressed the need for parent engagement for successful implementation.
Conclusions
Educators’ voices are important for informing implementation of physical activity policy and practices leading to improvements in children’s physical activity levels.
World Health Organization. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health: Physical Activity. World Halth Organisation; 2017. https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/pa/en/. Accessed 06 3, 2019.
2.
Australian Institute of Health and WelfarePHE 225. Physical Activity across the Life Stages. : Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2018.
3.
TrueloveSBruijnsBAVanderlooLMO'BrienKTJohnsonAMTuckerP. Physical activity and sedentary time during childcare outdoor play sessions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Prev Med. 2018;108:74-85.
4.
World Health Organization. Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep for Children under 5 Years of Age; 2019. World Health Organisationhttps://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664. Accessed 5 30, 3019.
5.
ChristianHRosenbergMTrostS, et al.A snapshot of the PLAYCE project: Findings from the Western Australian PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity Study. In: Supportive Childcare Environments for Physical Activity in the Early Years. University of Western Australia, School of Population and Global Health; 2018. https://www.uwa.edu.au/projects/playce-study. Accessed 06 01, 2019.
6.
JacksonJKJonesJNguyenH, et al.Obesity prevention within the early childhood education and care setting: A systematic review of dietary behavior and physical activity policies and guidelines in high income countries. Int J Environ Res Publ Health. 2021;18(2):838.
7.
HinkleyTSalmonJOkelyADCrawfordDHeskethK. The HAPPY Study: Development and reliability of a parent survey to assess correlates of preschool children's physical activity. J Sci Med Sport. 2012;15(5):407-417.
8.
OECD Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment Labour and Social Affairs. Enrolment in childcare and pre-school (Public policies for families and children). In OECD Family Database Web site; 2019. www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF3_2_Enrolment_childcare_preschool.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2021.
9.
WolfendenLBarnesCJonesJ, et al.Strategies to improve the implementation of healthy eating, physical activity and obesity prevention policies, practices or programmes within childcare services. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;2(2):CD011779.
10.
McWilliamsCBallSCBenjaminSEHalesDVaughnAWardDS. Best-practice guidelines for physical activity at child care. Pediatrics. 2009;124(6):1650-1659.
11.
SissonSBCampbellJEMayKB, et al.Assessment of Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Practices in Oklahoma Child-Care Centers. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(8):1230-1240.
12.
FinchMWolfendenLFalkinerM, et al.Impact of a population based intervention to increase the adoption of multiple physical activity practices in centre based childcare services: a quasi experimental, effectiveness study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Activ. 2012;9(1):101-101.
13.
DowdaMBrownWHMcIverKL, et al.Policies and characteristics of the preschool environment and physical activity of young children. Pediatrics. 2009;123(2):e261-e266.
14.
TremblayLBoudreau-LarivièreCCimon-LambertK. Promoting Physical Activity in Preschoolers: A Review of the Guidelines, Barriers, and Facilitators for Implementation of Policies and Practices. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne. 2012;53(4):280-290.
15.
HeskethKRLakshmanRvan SluijsEMF. Barriers and facilitators to young children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative literature. Obes Rev. 2017;18(9):987-1017.
16.
HeskethKRO’MalleyCPaesVM, et al.Determinants of Change in Physical Activity in Children 0-6 years of Age: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Literature. Sports Med. 2017;47(7):1349-1374.
17.
JonesRASousa-SáEPedenMOkelyAD. Childcare physical activity interventions: A discussion of similarities and differences and trends, issues, and recommendations. Int J Environ Res Publ Health. 2019;16(23):4836.
18.
WolfendenLNeveMFarrellL, et al.Physical activity policies and practices of childcare centres in Australia. J Paediatr Child Health. 2011;47(3):73-76.
CopelandKAShermanSNKhouryJCFosterKESaelensBEKalkwarfHJ. Wide variability in physical activity environments and weather-related outdoor play policies in child care centers within a single county of Ohio. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(5):435-442.
21.
CopelandKAKendeighCASaelensBEKalkwarfHJShermanSN. Physical activity in child-care centers: do teachers hold the key to the playground?Health Educ Res. 2012;27(1):81-100.
22.
Vargas-barónE. Policy planning for early childhood care and education: 2000-2014. Prospects. 2016;46(1):15-38.
23.
WolfendenLFinchMWyseRClinton-McHargTYoongSL. Time to focus on implementation: the need to re-orient research on physical activity in childcare services. Aust N Z J Publ Health. 2016;40(3):209-210.
24.
NathanAAdamsETrostS, et al.Evaluating the effectiveness of the Play Active policy intervention and implementation support in early childhood education and care: a pragmatic cluster randomised trial protocol. BMC Publ Health. 2022;22(1):306.
BradshawCAtkinsonSDoodyO. Employing a qualitative description approach in health care research. Global Qualitative Nursing Research. 2017;4:2333393617742282.
CresswellJ. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 5th ed.California, USA: Sage; 2018.
32.
HeikkaJPitkäniemiHKettukangasTHyttinenT. Distributed pedagogical leadership and teacher leadership in early childhood education contexts. Int J Leader Educ. 2019:1-16.
33.
LindonJLindonL. Shared responsibility for best practice. In: Leadership and Early Years Professionalism. London: Hodder Education; 2012:119-135.
34.
BeaudinH. Distributed Leadership: A framework for enhancing quality in early learning programs. Center for International Studies in Social Politics and Social Service. In: Social Work and Society International Online Journal Web site; 2018. https://www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/537/1084Accessed 06 081, 202016.
35.
WardSBélangerMDonovanDCarrierN. Systematic review of the relationship between childcare educators' practices and preschoolers' physical activity and eating behaviours. Obes Rev. 2015;16(12):1055-1070.
36.
BenjaminGD. Translating Policy into Practice for Child Care Center Nutrition and Physical Activity Regulations [PhD]. Ann Arbor: University of Delaware; 2012.
37.
JonesLHarcourtD. Social competencies and the Early Years Learning Framework: Understanding critical influences on educator capacity. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. 2013;38(1):4-10.
38.
HoDChenS-CS. Behind the starting line: school capacity building in early childhood education. Sch Leader Manag. 2013;33(5):501-514.
39.
StoryMKaphingstMKFrenchS. The Role of Child Care Settings in Obesity Prevention; 162006.
40.
ParkSHMinH. Promoting a healthy childcare environment: A focus group study of childcare providers' perspectives. Nurs Health Sci. 2020;22(2):254-262.
41.
NoresMFernandezC. Building capacity in health and education systems to deliver interventions that strengthen early child development. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018;1419(1):57-73.
42.
MelhuishE. The impact of early childhood education and care on improved wellbeing. In: PickettKMelhuishEDorlingD, et al., eds If you could do one thing. Nine local actions to reduce health inequalities. London, UK: British Academy; 2014:33-43.
43.
ChilenskiSMOlsonJRSchulteJAPerkinsDFSpothR. A multi-level examination of how the organizational context relates to readiness to implement prevention and evidence-based programming in community settings. Eval Progr Plann. 2015;48:63-74.
44.
PeirsonLCiliskaDDobbinsMMowatD. Building capacity for evidence informed decision making in public health: A case study of organizational change. BMC Publ Health. 2012;12(1):137-137.
45.
OmdalH. Creating teacher capacity in Early Childhood Education and Care institutions implementing an authoritative adult style. J Educ Change. 2018;19(1):103-129.
46.
DamschroderLHallCGillonL, et al.The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): progress to date, tools and resources, and plans for the future. Implement Sci. 2015;10(1):A12.
