Objective: In Australia, less than one quarter of children aged 5–12 years meet national physical activity (PA) guidelines. Before school care operates as part of Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) services and provide opportunities for children to meet their daily PA recommendations. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with children meeting 15 min of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) while attending before school care. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 25 services in New South Wales, Australia. Each service was visited twice between March and June 2021. Staff behaviours and PA type and context were captured using staff interviews and the validated System for Observing Staff Promotion of Physical Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN) time sampling tool. Child PA data were collected using Actigraph accelerometers and associations between program practices and child MVPA analysed. Results: PA data were analysed for 654 children who spent
Background: Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) offers structured care to elementary/primary-aged children before and after school, and during school holidays. The promotion of physical activity in OSHC is important for childhood obesity prevention. The aim of this systematic review was to identify correlates of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in before and after school care. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Scopus, ERIC, MEDLINE (EBSCO), PsycINFO and Web of Science databases up to December 2021. Study inclusion criteria were: written in English; from a peer-reviewed journal; data from a centre-based before and/or after school care service; children with a mean age < 13 years; an objective measure of physical activity or sedentary behaviour; reported correlations and significance levels; and if an intervention study design these correlates were reported at baseline. Study quality was assessed using the Office of Health Assessment and Translati
Introduction: Out of school hours care (OSHC) is a fast-growing childcare setting in Australia, however the types of foods and beverages offered are relatively unknown. This study describes the food and beverages offered and investigates sector-level and setting-level factors which may impact OSHC in meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in 89 OSHC services (between 2018 and 2019). Food and beverages offered, kitchen facilities and menus were captured via direct observation. Foods were categorised into five food groups or discretionary foods, based on the ADG, and frequencies determined. Short interviews with OSHC directors ascertained healthy eating policies, staff training, food quality assessment methods and food budgets. Fisher’s exact test explored the influence of sector-level and setting-level factors on food provision behaviours. Results: Discretionary foods (1.5 ± 0.68) were offered more frequently