An initial typology of approaches used by policy and practice agencies to achieve sustained implementation of interventions to improve health.

BACKGROUND: Scientific investigation of how to sustain the implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBI) is emerging. Sustaining the implementation of EBIs helps ensure their effects on improving health endure. External policy or practice agencies, such as government health departments, are often tasked with supporting individual organisations with sustaining their delivery of EBIs, for example, through financing, training or the provision of other supports. However, to our knowledge, the approaches taken by policy and practice agencies to support the sustainment of EBIs have not been consolidated, categorised and described as a typology. MAIN BODY: To improve conceptual clarity and support both research and practice, we developed an initial working typology of the practical approaches to sustain implementation of EBIs (i.e. sustainment) in order to improve long term health from the perspective of these agencies. The working typology includes three broad approaches. The first, termed 'Self-Sustainment', is when implementation of the EBI by an organisation (e.g. hospital, clinic, school) is expected to continue (sustain) in the absence of external (agency) support. The second, termed 'Static Sustainment Support', involves the provision of pre-defined external (agency) support to assist organisations to continue implementation of an EBI. The final approach is termed 'Dynamic Sustainment Support', whereby support provided by an external agency is dynamic (continues to be adapted) overtime to assist organisations continue implementation of an intervention which may itself also evolve. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the contexts and circumstances where each may be most appropriate in achieving sustained implementation and discuss their research and practice implications.

A bibliographic review of sustainability research output and investment in 10 leading public health journals across three time periods.

Objectives: Long-term delivery, or sustainability, of evidence-based interventions is necessary for public health benefits to be realised. However, sustainment of effective interventions is poor. Understanding the evidence-base and identifying potential gaps is necessary to inform where future research efforts are most warranted. Study design: We undertook a repeat cross-sectional bibliographic review of research published in 10 public health journals across three time periods (2010, 2015 and 2020/2021). Methods: Studies were eligible if they were a data-based study or review article. Studies were assessed as to whether they focused on sustainability. The percentage of public health research studies assessing sustainability overall and by the three time periods was calculated. The association between time period and the proportion of sustainability articles was assessed using logistic regression. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise study characteristics overall and by time period. Results: 10,588 data-based articles were identified, of which 1.3 % (n = 136) focused on sustainability. There was a statistically significant association between time period and the proportion of sustainability research, with a slight increase across the three time periods: 0.3 % (95 % CI: 0.1 %, 0.7 %) in 2010, 1.4 % (95 % CI: 1.0 %, 1.9 %) in 2015 and 1.6 % (95 % CI: 1.3 %, 1.9 %) in 2020/2021. Most research was descriptive/epidemiological (n = 69, 51 %), few focused on measurement (n = 2, 1.5 %) and none on cost effectiveness. Only one intervention study assessed the effect of specific sustainability strategies. Conclusions: This bibliographic review highlights the need for more public health research on sustainability, particularly in the areas of measurement, sustainability interventions, and cost effectiveness.

A cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a multi-strategy sustainability intervention on teachers' sustained implementation of classroom physical activity breaks (energisers): study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Governments internationally have invested hugely in the implementation and scale-up of school-based physical activity interventions, but have little evidence of how to best sustain these interventions once active implementation support ceases. This study will assess the effectiveness of a multi-strategy sustainability intervention on classroom teachers' sustainment of energisers (short 3-5 min physical activity breaks during class-time) scheduled across the school day from baseline to 12 and 24-month follow-up. METHODS: A cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in 50 primary schools within the Hunter New England, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Murrumbidgee and Northern New South Wales (NSW) Local Health Districts of NSW Australia. Schools will be randomly allocated to receive either usual support or the multi-strategy sustainability intervention that includes: centralised technical assistance from a trained project officer; formal commitment and mandated change obtained from school principals; training in-school champions; reminders for teachers; educational materials provided to teachers; capturing and sharing local knowledge; and engagement of parents, carers and the wider school community. The primary trial outcome will be measured via a teacher logbook to determine the between-group difference in the change in mean minutes of energisers scheduled across the school day at 12 and 24-month follow-up compared to baseline. Analyses will be performed using an intention to treat framework. Linear mixed models will be used to assess intervention effects on the primary outcome at both follow-up periods. DISCUSSION: This study will be one of the first randomised controlled trials to examine the impact of a multi-strategy sustainability intervention to support schools' sustainment of a physical activity intervention. The proposed research will generate new evidence needed for the partnering organisations to protect their considerable investments to date in physical activity promotion in this setting and will provide seminal evidence for the field globally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12620000372987 version 1 registered 17th March 2020. Version 3 (current version) updated 4th August 2023.

Evaluating the scaling up of an effective implementation intervention (PACE) to increase the delivery of a mandatory physical activity policy in primary schools.

BACKGROUND: Physically Active Children in Education (PACE) is an effective implementation intervention for increasing the number of minutes classroom teachers schedule physical activity each week. To date, evaluations of PACE have included a smaller number of schools from only one region in New South Wales Australia. If PACE is to have population-wide benefits we must be able to deliver this support to a larger number of schools across multiple regions. This study aimed to evaluate the scale-up of PACE. METHODS: An uncontrolled before and after study, with 100 schools from three regions was conducted. Participating schools received PACE for approximately 12 months. We assessed the following outcomes: delivery of the evidence-based intervention (EBI) (i.e. minutes of physical activity scheduled by classroom teachers per week); delivery of the implementation strategies (i.e. reach, dose delivered, adherence and indicators of sustainability); and key determinants of implementation (i.e. acceptability of strategies and cost). Data were collected via project officer records, and principal and teacher surveys. Linear mixed models were used to assess EBI delivery by evaluating the difference in the mean minutes teachers scheduled physical activity per week from baseline to follow-up. Descriptive data were used to assess delivery of the implementation strategies and their perceived acceptability (i.e. PACE). A prospective, trial-based economic evaluation was used to assess cost. RESULTS: Delivery of the EBI was successful: teachers increas their average minutes of total physical activity scheduled across the school week by 26.8 min (95% CI: 21.2, 32.4, p < 0.001) after receiving PACE. Indicators for delivery of implementation strategies were high: 90% of consenting schools received all strategies and components (reach); 100% of strategies were delivered by the provider (dose); >50% of schools adhered to the majority of strategies (11 of the 14 components); and acceptability was > 50% agreement for all strategies. The incremental cost per additional minute of physical activity scheduled per week was $27 per school (Uncertainty Interval $24, $31). CONCLUSIONS: PACE can be successfully delivered across multiple regions and to a large number of schools. Given the ongoing and scalable benefits of PACE, it is important that we continue to extend and improve this program while considering ways to reduce the associated cost.

A systematic review to determine the effect of strategies to sustain chronic disease prevention interventions in clinical and community settings: study protocol.

Background: The primary purpose of this review is to synthesise the effect of strategies aiming to sustain the implementation of evidenced based interventions (EBIs) targeting key health behaviours associated with chronic disease (i.e., physical inactivity, poor diet, harmful alcohol use and tobacco smoking) in clinical and community settings. The field of implementation science is bereft of an evidence base of effective sustainment strategies, and as such this review will provide important evidence to advance the field of sustainability research. Methods: This systematic review protocol is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) checklist (Additional file 1). Methods will follow Cochrane gold-standard review methodology. The search will be undertaken across multiple databases, adapting filters previously developed by the research team; data screening and extraction will be performed in duplicate; strategies will be coded using an adapted sustainability-explicit taxonomy; evidence will be synthesised using appropriate methods (i.e. meta-analytic following Cochrane or non-meta-analytic following SWiM guidelines). We will include any randomised controlled study that targets any staff or volunteers delivering interventions in clinical or community settings. Studies which report on any objective or subjective measure of the sustainment of a health prevention policy, practice, or program within any of the eligible settings will be included. Article screening, data extraction, risk of bias and quality assessment will be performed independently by two review authors. Risk of bias will be assessed using Version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2). A random effect meta-analysis will be conducted to estimate the pooled effect of sustainment strategies separately by setting (i.e. clinical and community). Sub-group analyses will be undertaken to explore possible causes of statistical heterogeneity and may include: time period, single or multi strategy, type of setting and type of intervention. Differences between sub-groups will be statistically compared. Discussion/Conclusion: This will be the first systematic review to determine the effect of strategies designed to support sustainment on sustaining the implementation of EBIs in clinical and community settings. The findings of this review will directly inform the design of future sustainability-focused implementation trials. Further, these findings will inform the development of a sustainability practice guide for public health practitioners. Registration: This review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42022352333).

A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial to Increase the Sustainment of an Indoor-Outdoor-Free-Play Program in Early Childhood Education and Care Services: A Study Protocol for the Sustaining Play, Sustaining Health (SPSH) Trial.

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings are important environments to support children's physical activity (PA). In 2021, COVID-19 regulations recommended the provision of indoor-outdoor free-play programs in ECEC settings to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, resulting in an increased uptake of this practice. As the context has since changed, research suggests that ECEC services could cease the implementation of these practices. Therefore, this pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a sustainment strategy to ensure the ongoing implementation (sustainment) of ECEC-delivered indoor-outdoor free-play programs. Twenty ECEC services located in New South Wales, Australia that have implemented indoor-outdoor free-play programs since the release of COVID-19 guidelines will be recruited. The services will be randomly allocated either the sustainment strategy or usual care. The "Sustaining Play, Sustaining Health" program consists of eight strategies, developed to address key barriers against and facilitators of sustainment informed by the Integrated Sustainability Framework. The outcomes will be assessed via internal project records, staff surveys, and a self-reported measure of free play. This study will provide important data to support the performance of a fully powered trial within Australian ECEC settings and to inform the development of future sustainment strategies.

Evaluation of measures of sustainability and sustainability determinants for use in community, public health, and clinical settings: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Sustainability is concerned with the long-term delivery and subsequent benefits of evidence-based interventions. To further this field, we require a strong understanding and thus measurement of sustainability and what impacts sustainability (i.e., sustainability determinants). This systematic review aimed to evaluate the quality and empirical application of measures of sustainability and sustainability determinants for use in clinical, public health, and community settings. METHODS: Seven electronic databases, reference lists of relevant reviews, online repositories of implementation measures, and the grey literature were searched. Publications were included if they reported on the development, psychometric evaluation, or empirical use of a multi-item, quantitative measure of sustainability, or sustainability determinants. Eligibility was not restricted by language or date. Eligibility screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two members of the research team. Content coverage of each measure was assessed by mapping measure items to relevant constructs of sustainability and sustainability determinants. The pragmatic and psychometric properties of included measures was assessed using the Psychometric and Pragmatic Evidence Rating Scale (PAPERS). The empirical use of each measure was descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 32,782 articles were screened from the database search, of which 37 were eligible. An additional 186 publications were identified from the grey literature search. The 223 included articles represented 28 individual measures, of which two assessed sustainability as an outcome, 25 covered sustainability determinants and one explicitly assessed both. The psychometric and pragmatic quality was variable, with PAPERS scores ranging from 14 to 35, out of a possible 56 points. The Provider Report of Sustainment Scale had the highest PAPERS score and measured sustainability as an outcome. The School-wide Universal Behaviour Sustainability Index-School Teams had the highest PAPERS score (score=29) of the measure of sustainability determinants. CONCLUSIONS: This review can be used to guide selection of the most psychometrically robust, pragmatic, and relevant measure of sustainability and sustainability determinants. It also highlights that future research is needed to improve the psychometric and pragmatic quality of current measures in this field. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review was prospectively registered with Research Registry (reviewregistry1097), March 2021.

Cluster randomised controlled trial to determine the impact of an activity enabling uniform on primary school student's fitness and physical activity: study protocol for the Active WeAR Everyday (AWARE) study.

IntroductionMulticomponent school-based physical activity (PA) interventions can improve students' cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and PA. Due to the complex nature of such interventions when delivered at scale their effect sizes markedly reduce. Modifying student school uniforms, so that they are more PA enabling, may be a simple intervention that could enhance student health. The primary aim of this trial is to assess the effectiveness of an activity enabling uniform intervention (shorts, polo shirt and sports shoes) in improving children's CRF. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in 24 primary schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Schools will be randomly allocated to either intervention or usual practice following baseline data collection. Active WeAR Everyday intervention schools will allow students in grades 4-6 (aged approx. 9-12 years) to wear their existing sports uniform (shorts, polo shirt and sports shoes) every day. To avoid any financial cost to students they will be provided with two additional sports shirts and one pair of shorts. Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 9 months postbaseline. The primary outcome is students' CRF measured using the 20 m multistage fitness test. Secondary outcomes include students': mean daily steps and steps/minute measured via accelerometer, quality of life, mental well-being and perceived PA self-efficacy. The acceptability, feasibility and cost of the intervention will be assessed. Analyses will be performed using an intention-to-treat framework. Linear mixed effects regression models will be used to assess intervention effects on the primary outcome at follow-up. Planned exploratory analyses will examine effects by subgroups (eg, gender). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has received approval from Hunter New England Local Health District Human Ethics Committee (2020/ETHO2602) the University of Newcastle, Human Research Ethics Committee (H-2021-0013), NSW Department of Education (SERAP: 2020387) and Catholic School Offices. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12621000201875.

Optimising a multi-strategy implementation intervention to improve the delivery of a school physical activity policy at scale: findings from a randomised noninferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: To maximise their potential health benefits, school-based physical activity policies need to be implemented at scale. This paper describes the third in a sequence of trials that sought to optimise an effective strategy (PACE) to assist schools' implementation of a physical activity policy. Specifically, it aimed to determine the probability that a multi-strategy intervention adapted to reduce in-person contact (Adapted PACE) was "as good as" the original intervention (PACE) in increasing the weekly minutes of structured physical activity implemented by classroom teachers. METHODS: A noninferiority cluster randomised controlled trial was undertaken with 48 primary schools in New South Wales, Australia. Schools were randomised to receive PACE or a model with adaptations made to the delivery modes (Adapted PACE). Teachers' scheduled minutes of weekly physical activity was assessed at baseline (Oct 2018-Feb 2019) and 12-month follow-up (Oct-Dec 2019). The noninferiority margin was set at - 16.4 minutes based on previous data and decision panel consensus. A linear mixed model analysed within a Bayesian framework was used to explore noninferiority between the two PACE models. A cost minimisation analysis was conducted from the health service provider perspective, using the Australian dollar (AUD). RESULTS: The posterior estimate for the between group difference at follow-up was - 2.3 minutes (95% credible interval = - 18.02, 14.45 minutes). There was an estimated 96% probability of Adapted PACE being considered noninferior (only 4% of the posterior samples crossed the noninferiority margin of - 16.4 minutes). That is, the minutes of physical activity implemented by teachers at Adapted PACE schools was not meaningfully less than the minutes of physical activity implemented by teachers at PACE schools. The mean total cost was AUD$25,375 (95% uncertainty interval = $21,499, $29,106) for PACE and AUD$16,421 (95% uncertainty interval = $13,974, $19,656) for Adapted PACE; an estimated reduction of AUD$373 (95% uncertainty interval = $173, $560) per school. CONCLUSIONS: It is highly probable that Adapted PACE is noninferior to the original model. It is a cost-efficient alternative also likely to be a more suitable approach to supporting large scale implementation of school physical activity policies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619001229167).

School-level factors associated with the sustainment of weekly physical activity scheduled in Australian elementary schools: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to: (1) identify school-level factors associated with the sustainment of weekly physical activity (PA) scheduled in elementary schools following withdrawal of effective implementation support; and (2) determine teacher's perceived usefulness of suggested strategies for sustaining the scheduling of weekly PA. METHODS: A secondary exploratory analysis was employed of data from the intervention arm (n = 31 schools) of a randomised controlled trial. Self-report survey data from 134 classroom teachers in New South Wales, Australia, collected following withdrawal of initial implementation support (follow-up T1) and six-months following completion of support (follow-up T2) were used. The outcomes of sustainment of weekly overall PA and energisers (short classroom PA breaks) scheduled were measured via teachers' completion of a daily activity logbook, with results presented as the difference in mean minutes of PA and energisers scheduled at T1 and T2. An adapted version of the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) was used to measure capacity for program sustainability across seven key domains at follow-up T2. Linear mixed regressions were conducted to evaluate associations between school-level sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., school size, remoteness, and type), teacher-reported school factors (i.e., seven adapted PSAT domains) and the sustainment of PA and energisers scheduled across the school week. Perceived usefulness of 14 proposed sustainability strategies was measured via the teacher survey at follow-up T2 and reported descriptively. RESULTS: No school-level factor was statistically associated with the sustainment of overall weekly PA or energisers scheduled. Teacher-reported factors in two PSAT domains - 'strategic planning' and 'program evaluation' were statistically negatively associated with the sustainment of weekly energisers scheduled (- 6.74, 95% CI: - 13.02; - 0.47, p = 0.036 and - 6.65, 95% CI: - 12.17; - 1.12, p = 0.019 respectively). The proposed support sustainability strategy - 'provision of PA equipment packs that enable energisers or integrated lessons' was perceived useful by the most teachers (85%). CONCLUSIONS: Further research is required to explore additional contextual-specific, and end-user appropriate factors associated with schools' sustainment of weekly PA scheduled. This will help accurately inform the development of strategies to address these determinants and support the sustainment and long-term benefits of school-based health interventions more broadly.

Economic evaluation of a multi-strategy intervention that improves school-based physical activity policy implementation.

BACKGROUND: Internationally, government policies mandating schools to provide students with opportunities to participate in physical activity are poorly implemented. The multi-component Physically Active Children in Education (PACE) intervention effectively assists schools to implement one such policy. We evaluated the value of investment by health service providers tasked with intervention delivery, and explored where adaptations might be targeted to reduce program costs for scale-up. METHODS: A prospective trial-based economic evaluation of an implementation intervention in 61 primary schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Schools were randomised to the PACE intervention or a wait-list control. PACE strategies included centralised technical assistance, ongoing consultation, principal's mandated change, identifying and preparing in-school champions, educational outreach visits, and provision of educational materials and equipment. Effectiveness was measured as the mean weekly minutes of physical activity implemented by classroom teachers, recorded in a daily log book at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Delivery costs (reported in $AUD, 2018) were evaluated from a public finance perspective. Cost data were used to calculate: total intervention cost, cost per strategy and incremental cost (overall across all schools and as an average per school). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated as the incremental cost of delivering PACE divided by the estimated intervention effect. RESULTS: PACE cost the health service provider a total of $35,692 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] $32,411, $38,331) to deliver; an average cost per school of $1151 (95%UI $1046, $1236). Training in-school champions was the largest contributor: $19,437 total; $627 ($0 to $648) average per school. Educational outreach was the second largest contributor: $4992 total; $161 ($0 to $528) average per school. The ICER was $29 (95%UI $17, $64) for every additional minute of weekly physical activity implemented per school. CONCLUSION: PACE is a potentially cost-effective intervention for increasing schools implementation of a policy mandate. The investment required by the health service provider makes use of existing funding and infrastructure; the additional cost to assist schools to implement the policy is likely not that much. PACE strategies may be adapted to substantially improve delivery costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617001265369; Prospectively registered 1st September 2017 https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373520.

Identifying essential implementation strategies: a mixed methods process evaluation of a multi-strategy policy implementation intervention for schools.

BACKGROUND: Physically Active Children in Education (PACE) is composed of eight implementation strategies that improves schools' implementation of a government physical activity policy. A greater understanding of each discrete implementation strategy could inform improvements to PACE for delivery at-scale. This study aimed to: (A) measure the dose delivered, fidelity, adoption and acceptability of each strategy using quantitative data; (B) identify implementation barriers and facilitators using qualitative data; and (C) explore the importance of each strategy by integrating both data sets (mixed methods). METHODS: This study used data from a cluster randomised noninferiority trial comparing PACE with an adapted version (Adapted PACE) that was delivered with reduced in-person external support to reduce costs and increase scalability. Data were collected from both trials arms for between-group comparison. Descriptive statistics were produced using surveys of principals, in-school champions and teachers; and project records maintained by PACE project officers (objective A). Thematic analysis was performed using in-school champion and project officer interviews (objective B). Both data sets were integrated via a triangulation protocol and findings synthesized in the form of meta-inferences (objective C). RESULTS: Eleven in-school champions and six project officers completed interviews; 33 principals, 51 in-school champions and 260 teachers completed surveys. Regardless of group allocation, implementation indicators were high for at least one component of each strategy: dose delivered =100%, fidelity ≥95%, adoption ≥83%, acceptability ≥50%; and several implementation barriers and facilitators were identified within three broad categories: external policy landscape, inner organizational structure/context of schools, and intervention characteristics and processes. All strategies were considered important as use varied by school, however support from a school executive and in-school champions' interest were suggested as especially important for optimal implementation. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of both executive support and in-school champions for successful implementation of school physical activity policies. In particular, identifying and supporting an in-school champion to have high power and high interest is recommended for future implementation strategies. This may reduce the need for intensive external support, thus improving intervention scalability.

The impact of an implementation intervention that increased school's delivery of a mandatory physical activity policy on student outcomes: A cluster-randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Assess the impact of an implementation intervention on student's physical activity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and on-task behaviour. DESIGN: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Following baseline 61 eligible schools were randomised to a 12-month, implementation intervention to increase teacher scheduling of physical activity, or a waitlist control. Whole school-day and class-time physical activity of students from grades 2 and 3 (~ages 7 to 9) were measured via wrist-worn accelerometers and included: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, sedentary behaviour and activity counts per minute. Children's health related quality of life (HRQoL) and out-of-school-hours physical activity was measured via parent-proxy surveys. Class level on-task behaviour was measured via teacher self-report surveys. Student and teacher obtained outcomes were measured at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Parent reported outcomes were measured at 12-month follow-up. Linear mixed models compared between group differences in outcomes. Differential effects by sex were explored for student and parent reported outcomes. RESULTS: Data from 2485 students, 1220 parents and >500 teachers were analysed. There was no statistically significant between group differences in any of the outcomes, including accelerometer measured physical activity, out-of-school-hours physical activity, HRQoL, and on-task behaviour. A statistically significant differential effect by sex was found for sedentary behaviour across the whole school day (3.16 min, 95% CI: 0.19, 6.13; p = 0.028), with females illustrating a greater difference between groups than males. CONCLUSIONS: Only negligible effects on student physical activity were found. Additional strategies including improving the quality of teacher's delivery of physical activity may be required to enhance effects.

Multi-strategy intervention increases school implementation and maintenance of a mandatory physical activity policy: outcomes of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess if a multi-strategy intervention effectively increased weekly minutes of structured physical activity (PA) implemented by classroom teachers at 12 months and 18 months. METHODS: A cluster randomised controlled trial with 61 primary schools in New South Wales Australia. The 12-month multi-strategy intervention included; centralised technical assistance, ongoing consultation, principal's mandated change, identifying and preparing school champions, development of implementation plans, educational outreach visits and provision of educational materials. Control schools received usual support (guidelines for policy development via education department website and telephone support). Weekly minutes of structured PA implemented by classroom teachers (primary outcome) was measured via teacher completion of a daily log-book at baseline (October-December 2017), 12-month (October-December 2018) and 18-month (April-June 2019). Data were analysed using linear mixed effects regression models. RESULTS: Overall, 400 class teachers at baseline, 403 at 12 months follow-up and 391 at 18 months follow-up provided valid primary outcome data. From baseline to 12-month follow-up, teachers at intervention schools recorded a greater increase in weekly minutes of PA implemented than teachers assigned to the control schools by approximately 44.2 min (95% CI 32.8 to 55.7; p<0.001) which remained at 18 months, however, the effect size was smaller at 27.1 min (95% CI 15.5 to 38.6; p≤0.001). CONCLUSION: A multi-strategy intervention increased mandatory PA policy implementation. Some, but not all of this improvement was maintained after implementation support concluded. Further research should assess the impact of scale-up strategies on the sustainability of PA policy implementation over longer time periods. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12617001265369).

Adaptation and Validation of the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) for Use in the Elementary School Setting.

There is a lack of valid and reliable measures of determinants of sustainability specific to public health interventions in the elementary school setting. This study aimed to adapt and evaluate the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) for use in this setting. An expert reference group adapted the PSAT to ensure face validity. Elementary school teachers participating in a multi-component implementation intervention to increase their scheduling of physical activity completed the adapted PSAT. Structural validity was assessed via confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was assessed using linear mixed regression evaluating the associations between scheduling of physical activity and adapted PSAT scores. Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate internal consistency and intracluster correlation coefficients for interrater reliability. Floor and ceiling effects were also evaluated. Following adaptation and psychometric evaluation, the final measure contained 26 items. Domain Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.77 to 0.92. Only one domain illustrated acceptable interrater reliability. Evidence for structural validity was mixed and was lacking for convergent validity. There were no floor and ceiling effects. Efforts to adapt and validate the PSAT for the elementary school setting were mixed. Future work to develop and improve measures specific to public health program sustainment that are relevant and psychometrically robust for elementary school settings are needed.

Australian children are not meeting recommended physical activity levels at school: Analysis of objectively measured physical activity data from a cross sectional study.

This study aimed to quantify, and examine grade level (Grade Kindergarten-2 vs. 3-6) and sex differences in the daily minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of primary school children, and the proportion of children meeting MVPA recommendations, across the school day and in break times. Consenting children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 from 12 Catholic primary schools within the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia (February-April 2017) wore accelerometers during school hours (approx. 9am-3 pm) for five school days. Differences in student physical activity by Grade (Kindergarten-2; Grade 3-6) and sex were analysed using regression mixed modelling for the whole school day, during class time and break time. Valid data was available for 1862 students. Mean (SD) minutes of MVPA were consistently higher for Grade K-2 compared to Grade 3-6 students respectively, 37.02 (12.4) and 32.6 (12.2) across the school day; 20.4 (8.4) and 15.3 (7.6) minutes within breaks. Over the whole school day 69.7% of Grade K-2 and 54.1% of Grade 3-6 met the recommended 30 min of MVPA. Boys had higher MVPA than girls and a higher proportion of boys met MVPA recommendations than girls with 68.9% and 52.4% over whole school day and 6.43% and 0.98% respectively during break times. A large percentage of Australian children are not meeting physical activity guidelines whilst at school, with declining levels of physical activity from Grade K-2 to Grade 3-6 especially evident in girls.

Barriers and facilitators influencing the sustainment of health behaviour interventions in schools and childcare services: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Sustainment has been defined as the sustained use or delivery of an intervention in practice following cessation of external implementation support. This review aimed to identify and synthesise factors (barriers and facilitators) that influence the sustainment of interventions (policies, practices, or programmes) in schools and childcare services that address the leading risk factors of chronic disease. METHODS: Seven electronic databases and relevant reference lists were searched for articles, of any design, published in English, from inception to March 2020. Articles were included if they qualitatively and/or quantitatively reported on school or childcare stakeholders' (including teachers, principals, administrators, or managers) perceived barriers or facilitators to the sustainment of interventions addressing poor diet/nutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, tobacco smoking, or harmful alcohol use. Two independent reviewers screened texts, and extracted and coded data guided by the Integrated Sustainability Framework, an existing multi-level sustainability-specific framework that assesses factors of sustainment. RESULTS: Of the 13,158 articles identified, 31 articles met the inclusion criteria (8 quantitative, 12 qualitative, 10 mixed-methods, and 1 summary article). Overall, 29 articles were undertaken in schools (elementary n=17, middle n=3, secondary n=4, or a combination n=5) and two in childcare settings. The main health behaviours targeted included physical activity (n=9), diet (n=3), both diet and physical activity (n=15), and smoking (n=4), either independently (n=1) or combined with other health behaviours (n=3). Findings suggest that the majority of the 59 barriers and 74 facilitators identified to impact on intervention sustainment were similar across school and childcare settings. Factors predominantly relating to the 'inner contextual factors' of the organisation including: availability of facilities or equipment, continued executive or leadership support present, and team cohesion, support, or teamwork were perceived by stakeholders as influential to intervention sustainment. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying strategies to improve the sustainment of health behaviour interventions in these settings requires a comprehensive understanding of factors that may impede or promote their ongoing delivery. This review identified multi-level factors that can be addressed by strategies to improve the sustainment of such interventions, and suggests how future research might address gaps in the evidence base. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO: CRD42020127869 , Jan. 2020.

Associations between in-school-hours physical activity and child health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional study in a sample of Australian primary school children.

The aim of the current study was to examine the association between Australian primary school children's objectively measured in-school-hours weekly physical activity (PA) and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross-sectional study of 1128 Grade 2 and 3 children, aged 7-9 years, from 62 primary schools was conducted in New South Wales, Australia between October 2017 and April 2018. Children's PA was assessed via an accelerometer worn for five days during school hours. Their parents completed a telephone interview, answering demographic, child HRQoL and out-of-school-hours PA questions. Children's in-school-hours PA was classified as total PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). HRQoL scores were aggregated and reported at the high construct level domains (Total Quality of Life (Total HRQoL), Physical and Psychosocial Health Summary Scores). Multiple linear mixed regression analyses accounting for clustering were conducted to evaluate the association between children's in-school-hours weekly PA and their HRQoL. After adjusting for potential confounders, significant positive associations were found between children's in-school-hours weekly total PA and Total HRQoL (0.62 units, 95% CI: 0.29; 0.94, p < 0.001), Physical (0.71 units, 95% CI: 0.38; 1.04, p ≤ 0.001) and Psychosocial (0.58 units, 95% CI: 0.19; 0.97, p = 0.004) scores, with a stronger association observed between average weekly MVPA than average weekly total PA. There were also positive associations between PA and HRQoL for each sex when analysed separately. Our findings demonstrate a positive association between children's objectively-measured in-school-hours PA and parent-reported child HRQoL, strengthening evidence supporting the continued implementation of school-based PA programs for broader health outcomes.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase the implementation of school physical activity policies and guidelines: study protocol for the physically active children in education (PACE) study.

BACKGROUND: In an attempt to improve children's physical activity levels governments have introduced policies specifying the minimum time schools are to schedule physical activity each week. Despite this, the majority of schools in many jurisdictions fail to implement these policies. This study will assess the effectiveness of a multi-component implementation strategy on increasing the minutes of planned physical activity scheduled by primary school teachers each week. METHODS: A cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in 62 primary schools in the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Schools will be randomly allocated to receive either a multi-component implementation strategy that includes; obtaining executive support, training in-school champions, provision of tools and resources, implementation prompts, reminders and feedback; or usual practice. The study will employ an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design, assessing both policy implementation and individual (student) behavioural outcomes. The primary trial outcome of mean minutes of physical activity scheduled by classroom teachers across the school week will be measured via teacher log-book at baseline and approximately 12 and 18 months post baseline. A nested evaluation of the impact of policy implementation on child physical activity will be undertaken of students in Grades 2 and 3. Analyses will be performed using an intention to treat framework. Linear mixed effects regression models will be used to assess intervention effects on the primary outcome at both follow-up periods. DISCUSSION: This study will be the one of the first well powered randomised trials internationally to examine the impact of an implementation strategy for a physical activity policy in primary schools and will address a fundamental research translation gap. Given the dearth of research, the findings will be important in informing future implementation efforts in this setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR ACTRN12617001265369 version 1 registered 1st September 2017.