RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

A Good Start Matters Intervention Study

This study is about a new program called 'Appetite to Play +' designed to help childcare centres in British Columbia, Canada, make sure young children are getting enough physical activity. The government already has rules about 'Active Play', and a program called 'Appetite to Play' helps centres follow these rules. 'Appetite to Play +' is an extra training and support program for nursery managers and staff. It aims to help them keep up good practices for active play, like making sure children have enough outdoor time, do fun physical activities, and learn basic movement skills. Researchers will check if this new program helps centres improve their active play and if it makes children more active and better at moving.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University of British Columbia

Enrolment target

Start

25 Oct 2023

Estimated completion

30 Sep 2025

Physical Inactivity Motor Activity

What is this study about?

The government in British Columbia, Canada, has set up guidelines called the 'Active Play Standard' for nurseries and childminders. These guidelines say how much time children should spend outdoors, how much physical activity they should do, and how they can learn basic movement skills. To help childcare centres meet these standards, the government also created a training program called 'Appetite to Play'. This program helps staff learn how to include more physical activity, healthy eating, and physical literacy (understanding how to move their bodies) in their daily routines.

This study introduces an extra training program called 'Appetite to Play +'. It's built on top of the original 'Appetite to Play' program and is like an advanced course for nursery managers and staff. The goal of 'Appetite to Play +' is to give childcare centres ongoing support so they can continue to offer lots of active play opportunities for children. This support focuses on helping staff put active play and movement skills into their daily schedules, lesson plans, and create a welcoming environment for children to be active and eat healthily.

Researchers want to see if 'Appetite to Play +' really helps childcare centres improve their active play practices. They will also measure if it makes a difference to the children in these centres – for example, if children become more active, spend less time sitting, and develop better motor skills like running, jumping, and throwing. The findings from this study will help policymakers understand how support and training can ensure childcare centres continue to meet the Active Play Standard, ultimately benefiting young children's development.

Key takeaways

This study aims to make young children aged 2.5-6 more active in childcare.
It uses a new training program called 'Appetite to Play +' for nursery staff.
The goal is to improve children's physical activity, reduce sitting time, and boost motor skills.
Participation involves childcare centres in Metro Vancouver, Canada.
No medication is involved; the focus is on play and movement.
Results will help shape future policies on children's active play.

Who may be eligible?

To be part of this study, childcare centres need to be located in the Metro Vancouver area of Canada. They must look after at least 10 children who are aged between 2 and a half and 6 years old, and their daily program needs to be longer than 4 hours. We are particularly looking for centres that don't just care for very young babies or older children, and it's not suitable for home-based childcare or family-run centres that care for children of different ages.

Children can take part if their childcare centre has volunteered for the study and if they are also between 2 and a half and 6 years old. This ensures that the study is looking at children in a specific age group where active play makes a big difference to their development.

For managers and staff at these childcare centres, they need to be at least 19 years old and work full-time (at least three full days a week) looking after children between 2 and a half and 6 years old. This includes roles like Executive Directors, supervisors, program managers, Early Childhood Educators, or other staff directly involved in caring for these children. If you don't look after this specific age group, work less than three full days, or are in an administrative role like an office manager, you wouldn't be able to take part.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Is your childcare centre in Metro Vancouver, Canada?
Does your centre care for at least 10 children aged between 2 and a half and 6 years old?
Does your childcare program run for longer than 4 hours each day?
If you are staff, are you at least 19 years old and work full-time (3+ days a week) with children aged 2.5-6?
Is your centre NOT a family or home-based multi-age childcare?
Does your centre NOT only care for children younger than 2.5 or older than 6?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study involves childcare centres, their staff, and the children in their care. If a childcare centre takes part, their managers and staff will receive the 'Appetite to Play +' training and ongoing support. The study will look at how these new practices are put into action within the centre. For children, researchers will observe their physical activity levels, how much time they spend sitting, and how well they perform motor skills. All these measurements will be done during their normal childcare day. The exact number of visits, duration of assessments, and overall length of the support program will be detailed by the research team. There are no medications involved in this study.

Potential risks and benefits

Potential benefits of taking part include enhanced training and support for childcare staff, which could lead to improved active play environments for children. This may result in children becoming more active, developing better movement skills, and spending less time sitting. There are no anticipated physical risks for children or staff, as the activities promote positive health behaviours. The main risk might be the time commitment required for staff training and for researchers to observe activities. Participants are free to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason, and this will not affect the childcare centre's relationship with regulatory bodies or the support they currently receive.

Locations (1)

BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
Verified postcode
Vancouver, Canada· Recruiting

Common questions

What is 'Active Play'?

Active Play means having opportunities for children to move their bodies and play freely, like running, jumping, and playing outdoors, to develop their physical skills.

What is 'Appetite to Play' and 'Appetite to Play +'?

Appetite to Play is a training program for nurseries to help them encourage children's active play and healthy eating. Appetite to Play + is an advanced version of this training, providing extra support to help centres keep these good practices going.

Who is eligible to participate?

Childcare centres in Metro Vancouver, Canada, caring for at least 10 children aged 2.5 to 6 years old for more than 4 hours a day can take part. Children in these centres, within the same age range, can also be included. Staff must be at least 19 and work full-time with this age group.

Will my child have to take any medicine?

No, this study does not involve any medication. It focuses on physical activity and play in childcare settings.

What will children be asked to do?

Children won't be asked to do anything unusual. Researchers will observe their normal play and activity levels during their time at the childcare centre to see how the new program might be helping them.

How to find out more

Louise C Masse, PhD

lmasse@bcchr.ubc.ca 604-875-2000 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.