Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41367255›Full record

Trial reportHealth promotion international2025

Evaluating the Sustaining Play, Sustaining Health programme in Australian early childhood education and care services: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Noor Imad, Alix Hall, Luke Giles, Nicole Pearson, Adam Shoesmith, Nicole Nathan, Alice Grady, Ana Renda, Regina Belski, Serene Yoong

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Health promotion international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Noor ImadSchool of Health Sciences, Department of Allied Health, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0625-2407
Alix HallSchool of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Luke GilesHunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
Nicole PearsonHunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
Adam ShoesmithSchool of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Nicole NathanHunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
Alice GradyHunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3379-5340
Ana RendaSchool of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4319-2447
Regina BelskiSport, Performance and Nutrition Research Group, Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, La Trobe University, Sports Drive, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
Serene YoongGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.

Funding

Deakin UniversityHeart Foundation 102518Hunter New England Population HealthNational Health and Medical Research Council APP1170042NHMRC MRFF GS2000053Wellcome Trust 106654
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a recommended setting to deliver interventions improving children's physical activity (PA). Indoor-outdoor free play, where children move freely between indoor-outdoor environments, can increase child PA. However, these programmes in ECECs are often not sustained. This study aims to assess the acceptability, feasibility, impact, adoption and cost of the Sustaining Play, Sustaining Health (SPSH) programme on sustainment of indoor-outdoor free play programmes in ECECs. A 6-month parallel-group pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 16 ECEC services across New South Wales, Australia, following removal of COronaVIrus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) recommendations. Services implementing indoor-outdoor programmes were randomized to (i) SPSH programme (n = 8) or (ii) usual care control group (n = 8). The intervention included eight strategies to target identified barriers, informed by the Integrated Sustainability Framework. Primary outcomes at 6 months were acceptability, feasibility, adoption, cost, and barriers/facilitators. Potential impact (sustainment) was measured at 6 (primary) and 12 months using nonparametric analysis. Overall, 31.48% (17/54) of eligible services consented and 16 randomized. Statistically insignificant mean differences between groups in indoor-outdoor free play were 26.27 minutes at 6 months, and 2.87 minutes at 12 months, favouring the intervention group. The SPSH programme was considered acceptable and feasible and costed AUD $452.38 ($289.74 USD) to deliver per service. There were no changes in sustainability barriers/facilitators. This pilot found mean differences favouring the intervention group for sustaining indoor-outdoor free play programmes in ECECs, particularly at 12 months. Future fully powered trials should consider addressing broader barriers including staff turnover, motivation/attitudes, and fit within broader contexts to increase impact.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth PromotionPlay and PlaythingsAustraliaChild, PreschoolCOVID-19FemaleHumansMaleNew South WalesPilot ProjectsProgram EvaluationSARS-CoV-2acceptabilityearly childhood education and carefeasibilityoutdoor free playphysical activitypilot randomized controlled trialsustainment

Identifiers

PMID41367255
PMCPMC12681264

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.