“I’m not sure whether I will implement it”: exploring barriers and facilitators to implementing a digital “healthy eating” resource in early education and care settings - teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

BackgroundScaling up effective interventions to promote healthy eating habits in children in real-world settings is a pressing need. The success of implementation hinges crucially on engaging end-users and tailoring interventions to meet their specific needs. Building on our prior evaluation of a digital “healthy eating” resource for early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff; this qualitative study aims to pinpoint the barriers and facilitators that influence the successful implementation of such interventions.MethodsWe conducted twelve semi-structured interviews with ECEC teachers in a Norwegian municipality. Interview participants were later invited to participate in focus groups where two discussions were conducted with five of the participants to reflect on the initial interview findings. Thematic analysis, facilitated by NVivo software, was employed to analyse the data, aiming to identify and summarize teachers’ subjective experiences and perspectives.ResultsTeachers’ perceptions of barriers to the implementation of an upcoming digital “healthy eating” resource included: (1) No established tradition of using digital resources at work; (2) Uncertainty regarding the achievable outcomes of implementation; (3) Perception of the new “healthy eating” resource as cooking-focused and unnecessary; and (4) Hectic everyday life serving as a barrier to the long-term use of a digital resource. Facilitators for implementation included: (1) A user-friendly format; (2) Newsletters featuring seasonal tips inspire and serve as effective reminders; (3) Emphasis on research and legislation; and (4) Structuring the resource as a series and an idea bank.ConclusionsThe findings underscore the essential need for tailored strategies and comprehensive support structures to successfully implement a culturally appropriate digital “healthy eating” resource for ECEC staff, ensuring effectiveness and feasibility.Trial registrationThis study was not registered in a trial registry as it is not a clinical trial or intervention study but serves as a pilot for the Nutrition Now study, trial identifier ISRCTN10694967 (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10694967), registration date: 19/06/2022.