Motor Activity, Physical Inactivity
Conditions
Brief summary
The BC government and partners developed Active Play Standards and a capacity-building strategy to help childcare centers implement the Standards. We have developed an intervention to supplement the governmental capacity-building strategies. The intervention is comprised of implementation support strategies targeted at childcare providers in BC that will aid with the sustainment of Active Play best practices at their facilities. The impact of the intervention will be assessed by measuring its impact on a) change in practices with respect to Active Play; and b) improving child-level outcomes (children's physical activity, sedentary behavior, and motor skill competencies). The findings will inform future policies and enhance our understanding of how policy action supported by communication, capacity-building, and sustainment strategies influence the environment of childcare centres.
Detailed description
The Director of Licensing Standard of Practice - Active Play (Active Play Standard), mandates the provision of Active Play opportunities (amount of time spent outdoor, amount of physical activity, provision of fundamental skills) in licensed childcare centers in British Columbia, Canada. To support the implementation of this standard, the province released a capacity-building intervention, called Appetite to Play (ATP). Appetite to Play provides training and support to childcare providers in enhancing physical activity, physical literacy, and healthy eating environments in their facilities. To encourage the sustained use of ATP and aid childcare facilities in maintaining their adherence to the Active Play Standard, we have developed an intervention called, Appetite to Play +, targeted at facility managers and staff. The intervention builds upon ATP and is considered advanced training for childhood educators. The intervention involves the implementation of support strategies focused on integrating Active Play and fundamental movement skills into scheduling, curriculum planning, and creating a supportive environment for Active Play and healthy eating in childcare facilities.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAppetite to Play +
In 2017 the province of BC enacted a provincial standard for physical activity, formally titled the Director of Licensing Standard of Practice - Active Play (Active Play Standards) that licensed childcare centers are required to adhere to. Along with this, a provincial capacity-building intervention (Appetite to Play) was released to provide training and education to early years providers working in the province and support the implementation of the Active Play Standards. The intervention, Appetite to Play +, will provide advanced training to early year educators on the Appetite to Play activities and resources. The intervention will include workshops and training on physical literacy, fundamental movement skills, and creating a supportive environment to sustain Active Play practices. As part of the intervention, managers will also be provided with resources to aid them with the integration of Active Play into their curriculums and schedules.
Sponsors
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
University of British Columbia
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Partial masking as the outcome assessors will not deliver intervention.
Intervention model description
To test the efficacy of ATP+, we will conduct a randomized control trial with 52 facilities - where 26 facilities will be randomized to receive the intervention and while the remaining facilities will receive the standard of care as a waitlist control group and will receive the intervention at 3-month post randomization.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Months to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
for childcare center: * Located in the Metro Vancouver region * Provides care to at least 10 children older than 2 1/2 years and younger than 6 years * Childcare program that is longer than 4 hours each day Inclusion for child outcomes / measurement * children must attend a childcare that has volunteered to participate in the study * Child must be older than 2 1/2 years and younger than 6 years of age Inclusion Criteria for managers and staff childcare centers: \- Managers at licensed BC childcare facilities, working full time (at least 3 full days per week) in a facility for children aged 2½ to 6 years, defined as an Executive Director, supervisor, or program manager. Aged 19 years or older. OR \- Childcare staff at licensed BC childcare facilities, working full time (at least 3 full days per week), defined as Early Childhood Educator, instructor, or staff that cares for 2½ to 6-year-old children. Aged 19 years or older.
Exclusion criteria
for childcare center: * Located outside Metro Vancouver region * Facilities caring only for children under 2 1/2 years old or older than 6 years * Family or in-home multi-age childcare
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in practices related to active play (AP) and fundamental movement skills (FMS) | Two time points -baseline and 3-month post intervention | Change in AP and FMS practices will examine child engagement in AP and FMS activities at the facility (e.g., time spent in AP, FMS, and outdoor activities, adherence to best practices). Assessment through observed practices using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool, and through self-reported practices based on questions developed by the Early Years Survey and the EPAO as a Self-Report instrument (EPAO-SR). |
| Fundamental movement skills (child outcomes) | Two time points -baseline and 3-month post intervention | Children's FMS will be assessed with the validated Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3 a norm-referenced tool for assessing 13 gross motor skills). The measure takes 15-20 min per child to administer and provides standardized and percentile composite scores for the locomotor, object control, and gross motor quotient (GMQ) composites. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristics of childcare settings | Three time points -baseline and 3-month, and 6-month post intervention | Assessment of organizational processes, structural support, and processing supporting implementation of Active Play policies as measured by the Early Years Survey and the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation as a Self-Report tool (EPAO-SR), including actions to prioritize AP and changes in the environment to support AP and FMS. |
| Characteristics of providers | Three time points -baseline and 3-month, and 6-month post intervention | Assessment of staff and manager's knowledge and skills, self-efficacy, and commitment to changes facility practices to implement Active Play standards, as measured by the Early Years Survey and the EPAO-SR. |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
Primary ContactLouise C Masse, PhD
Backup ContactPatti-Jean Naylor, PhD
Outcome results
None listed