Long Oral Presentation Nutrition Society of Australia 50th Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Caregiver attendance, acceptability and experiences of a group-based early childhood health behaviour program delivered at scale: the Infant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition program (147040)

Ioanna Katiforis 1 2 , Penny Love 1 2 , Kylie Hesketh 1 2 , Meg Adam 1 , Della Duric 1 , Karen Campbell 1 2 , Heilok Cheng 1 2 , Liliana Orellana 3 , Denise Becker 3 , Rachel Laws 1 2
  1. Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  2. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood (EPOCH-Translate CRE), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  3. Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

The early establishment of healthy diet and movement behaviours is important for promoting optimal child growth and health across the life course. Despite the growth in interventions targeting early childhood diet and movement behaviours, few have been implemented at scale to achieve population-level delivery (1). While successful scale-up of early life health behaviour interventions requires engaging families, evidence on caregiver engagement at scale is limited. Infant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition (INFANT) is an evidence-based early life health behaviour program for first-time parents and caregivers implemented at scale across Victoria, Australia since 2021 (2). INFANT comprises four face-to-face group sessions delivered when infants are 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age by trained early years professionals, with session content complemented by a smartphone app. This mixed methods study investigated caregiver attendance, acceptability, and experiences of INFANT group sessions delivered in community settings. Participants were enrolled in the INFANT scale-up embedded effectiveness trial, completed at least one INFANT evaluation survey when their child was 12 or 18 months of age, and resided in a Victorian local government area (LGA) offering group sessions. Group session attendance and program acceptability data were analysed descriptively. Open-text responses describing caregivers’ experiences of group sessions were analysed thematically (3). Of the 2568 caregivers invited, 1301 (51%) completed a 12 or 18-month survey and resided in 46 of the 48 LGAs offering group sessions. Among participating caregivers, 63% (n = 818) did not attend any sessions and used the app only, while 24% (n = 315) attended 1-2 sessions and 13% (n = 168) attended 3-4 sessions. Of 483 caregivers attending at least one session, attendance declined from 76% (n = 365) at 3 months and 75% (n = 360) at 6 months, to 40% (n = 195) at 9 months and 23% (n = 109) at 12 months. Of non-attenders, 60% (n = 494/818) reported that INFANT was not offered to them, despite it being available in their LGA. Caregivers attending group sessions reported high acceptability; 98% agreed that they felt safe and comfortable participating in INFANT and 95% considered the content relevant and useful. Caregivers preferred in-person over online sessions, and valued the credibility of program content, opportunities for peer learning, and supportive interactions with facilitators. However, session access was constrained by limited availability of suitable times and inconsistent communication about upcoming sessions and schedule changes. Larger groups and perceived judgement or criticism made it difficult for caregivers to participate and connect with other caregivers. Findings suggest that reducing missed opportunities to engage with group-based early childhood health behaviour programs in real-world settings requires attention not only to caregiver circumstances and preferences, but also to program promotion and delivery within local implementation contexts.  

  1. (1) Yoong SL, Turon H, Wong CK et al. (2024) Health Promot J Austr 35, 365-370
  2. (2) Laws R, Love P, Hesketh KD et al. (2021) Front Endocrinol 12, 717468
  3. (3) Braun V, Clarke V (2022) Thematic analysis: a practical guide. London: SAGE Publications