Awareness and use of the Eat Smart Play Smart resources in Out of School Hours Care services: A staff survey in New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

Issue addressed: Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) is an important setting to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Between 2017 and 2018, The Eat Smart Play Smart (ESPS) resources were disseminated to OSHC services across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness and usability of ESPS to support OSHC healthy eating and physical activity practices.

Methods: All NSW OSHC services (approximately 1700) were invited to complete an online survey to assess awareness and use of the ESPS resources (manual and online modules). Data were analysed using SPSS (Version 29).

Results: A total of 393 OSHC staff responded to the survey. Most (75%) had used the ESPS resources. Of the 25% who had not used the resources, 63% indicated it was because they did not receive the manual and 52% were not aware of the resources. Of the OSHC services that knew about the resources, 69% indicated that ESPS contributed to their service's ability to meet the Australian National Quality Standards. Respondents identified additional support was required regarding physical activity educational materials and professional learning. Suggestions for improvements included offering content in different formats (e.g., digital).

Conclusion: This evaluation identified factors influencing the uptake of the ESPS resources and will inform future interventions for OSHC staff to improve knowledge and practices in healthy eating and physical activity promotion. SO WHAT?: Our findings will support the optimisation of ESPS resources and inform future development of future healthy eating and physical activity interventions in the OSHC setting.