Highlights
The NAPSACC UK trial, a multicentre cluster-randomised controlled trial, investigated the effectiveness of an environmental intervention on nutrition and physical activity in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. Key highlights include:
- No significant difference was observed in the co-primary outcomes: total energy consumed per eating occasion (p = 0.09) and total physical activity (p = 0.64).
- Secondary outcomes revealed a significant reduction in energy served and consumed specifically during lunch (approx. -68 kcal, p = 0.009).
- Implementation fidelity was lower than intended, likely due to substantial staffing pressures and systemic challenges within the ECEC sector.
- The findings suggest that individual childcare setting interventions may be insufficient, pointing toward the necessity of policy-level and statutory changes.
