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Evidence-based Healthy Activity and Nutrition for Children and Environments

Supporting families and children during the first 2000 days

Our research group is dedicated to supporting families and children during the critical 'First 2000 days'. We work closely with Local Health Districts, Family Day Care, Early Childhood Education and Care providers, and community groups to develop and implement effective strategies that create healthy environments where children live, learn and play.

Supporting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) in Family Day Care

  • Andrew Woods (Adjunct Research Fellow)
  • Anthony Okely 
  • Bridget Kelly  
  • Megan Hammersley
  • Rochelle Davis
  • Jenny Norman – Research Coordinator based in ISLHD (Honorary position, UOW)
  • South Western Sydney Local Health District
  • Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
  • Centre for Population Health
  • Erin Kerr (PhD Graduate)
  • Georgie Tran (PhD Graduate)
  • Kayla Elliot
  • Jade Scott

Since the first round of PRSP funding commenced in 2017, the ENHANCE research group has conducted an observational and policy audit of the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) environments in the Family Day Care sector. This primarily focused on services located in the Illawarra Shoalhaven and South Western Sydney Local Health Districts.

The findings were used to inform the development of an online resource for the sector to support healthy food practices. Working closely with our partner LHD’s and Family Day Care stakeholders, including educators, a self-assessment quality improvement plan was developed to support educators and service providers to provide best practice HEAL environments within their services. This website tool has been pilot tested for acceptability in 2023.

This research formed part of Dr Erin Kerr’s and Dr Georgie Tran’s PhD thesis.

In partnership with CPH, SWSLHD, ISLHD, Sydney LHD we are conducting a state-wide Randomised Controlled Trial to test the efficacy of the self-assessment quality improvement plan website tool. This includes an economic evaluation.

These resources are designed for printing and may not meet digital accessibility standards. For an accessible or alternative version, please contact enhance-research@uow.edu.au.

2025

Development and formative evaluation of website-based tool to support healthy lifestyles in family day care

Brief report | Plain language summary

Web-based tool for Australian family day care to promote healthy lifestyles: Randomized controlled trial

Research article | Plain language summary

2024

Nutrition and physical activity practices in family day care: A cross-sectional survey of Australian family day care educators

Research article | Plain language summary

The utility of website-based quality improvement tools for health professionals: a systematic review

Research article | Plain language summary

2022

Correlates of children's dietary intake, physical activity and sedentary behavior in home-based childcare: A systematic review

Research article | Plain language summary

Assessment of Feeding Practices and Mealtime Environments in Australian Family Day Care Services

Research article | Plain language summary

Nutrition, physical activity and screen time policies and practices in family day care in NSW, Australia

Research article | Plain language summary

2021

Foods provided to children in family day care: an observational study

Research article | Plain language summary

First Bite - get it right

Healthy eating in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

  • Bridget Kelly (Supervisor) 
  • Megan Hammersley (Supervisor) 
  • Jenny Norman – Research Coordinator based in ISLHD (Supervisor) (Honorary position, UOW) 
  • Sharon Duncan (PhD Candidate)
  • Rochelle Davis
  • Western Sydney Local Health District
  • Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
  • Centre for Population Health 

We have conducted preliminary work within the Early Start Discovery Space and Early Start food skills kitchen, including gardening projects, tasting experiments with children using the garden and kitchen facilities, and simulated grocery store activities. We have undertaken substantial formative research to guide the development of good practice experiential learning activities to promote healthy eating to children, this has included focus groups with parents and a systematic literature review, led by PhD student Sumantla Varman.

Findings from our systematic review showed that the most common experiential learning activities used by studies that demonstrated positive food-related outcomes among preschoolers include sensory evaluation (feel, touch), games, and creative arts activities. Furthermore, previous work by our group with parents of young children has indicated that narrative-style videos accompanied by short text messages are a highly acceptable medium to receive healthy eating information.

In partnership with CPH, ISLHD, and WSLHD, we have developed, implemented, and evaluated an evidence-based program called 'First Bite - Get it Right'. The program seeks to improve children’s nutrition literacy and intakes of fruits and vegetables through hands-on experiential learning and the reinforcement of this learning at home. It builds on the previous work that we have conducted in this area, combining several strategies developed in consultation with key stakeholders, as research demonstrates that multi-component interventions which are tailored to local population needs are more likely to be successful.

Key strategies include:  

  • hands-on experiential learning activities at ECEC 
  • a daily vegetable break at ECEC
  • parent-targeted nutrition promotion messaging via ECECs, and
  • reinforcement of experiential eating and healthy food practices at home.   

After substantive formative work by key stakeholders to co-design the intervention activities and materials we have conducted a pilot RCT followed by an efficacy trial of the intervention.

Healthy Bytes

Supporting healthy digital technology use in young children

  • Dylan Cliff (Supervisor) 
  • Anthony Okely (Supervisor)  
  • Rachel Jones (Supervisor)
  • William Tregea (PhD Candidate) 
  • Rochelle Davis
  • South Western Sydney Local Health District (Supervisor) 
  • Western Sydney Local Health District

Through consultation with our partners in South Western Sydney Local Health District and data collected from the Population health survey data for childhood obesity in 2019, it was established that digital technology use or 'screen time' in children was a significant concern. It is anticipated that screen time among children aged 3–5 years may have increased as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly for those in populations living in the four most heavily locked down Local Government Areas in South Western Sydney Local Health District. 

With our partners and in consultation with families, we have conducted preliminary research to guide the development of a health promotion intervention to support healthy and reduce unhealthy screen time in preschool-aged children (aged 3-5 years), with a particular focus on the transition to school. This project will focus on COVID-19 recovery in the most heavily affected populations within South Western Sydney. This project is designed to ensure our vulnerable populations are supported to 'live life well after lockdown'. 

The project uses mixed methods to understand:

  1. population levels of screen time among children in South Western Sydney;
  2. the family screen time context following the COVID-19 lockdown, and;
  3. parents’ perspectives on the most desirable intervention approaches, and the acceptability of developed intervention materials and strategies.