Childcare based intervention to reduce sitting time in preschoolers

Four childcare services (approx. 120 children) will be randomised to either modifying their service to reduce sitting (“Stand more-Sit less” environment) or keeping it as it currently is (typical environment). The results of the calorimeter study (ACTRN12614001028695) will inform the intervention as to activities constituting a “typical” school day with around 50% of time spent sitting and a “stand and move more, sit less” school day with around 25% of time spent sitting; i.e., a 25% reduction in total sitting time which should also result in a 25% increase in light-intensity activity. The intervention strategy will include measures to break up sitting time and reduce sitting time such as the use of standing desks and active energy breaks. Research staff will meet with staff involved in the study at baseline during a staff meeting (approx 1 hr) to explain the intervention. The childcare educators will be provided with a preschool routine and encouraged to modify them to suit there routine and teaching style. They further provide them with ideas to encourage standing time, eg: taking away chairs during drawing. We will use an observation checklist to examine the process of the intervention once every 3 weeks by the research student. Centres randomised to the control group will continue with their usual activities. The intervention strategies will be offered to these schools at the end of the intervention period (3 months). This intervention will be guided by the Social Cognitive Theory which is based on the four key processes for learning and adapting new behaviours: attention, retention, production, and motivation.