Health promotion at day care centers in Baden–Württemberg: Current situation, barriers, and potentials

Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, there has been a significant deterioration in the physical activity and dietary behaviour of children. As day care centers have a socially formative influence on the health behaviour of children, health promotion programmes that promote increased physical activity and positive dietary behaviour in young children have lent themselves to be implemented within these organisations. Research question: How is health promotion currently being implemented in day care centers in Baden-Württemberg; what backgrounds exist and what are the desired outcomes for future health promotion programmes (HPP)? Methods: As part of a state-wide status analysis, 100 day care centers were randomly selected from all 8348 day care centers in Baden-Württemberg. Partially standardised interviews containing 19 questions were conducted with the day care centers’ deputies (N = 100). Data analysis was based on thematic coding and qualitative content analysis. Results: In all, 48% of the day care centers saw no requirement for health promotion. Concrete HPPs have been implemented in 28 of the 100 day care centers; 52% of these 28 day care centers did not previously indicate any need for health promotion. Of the 52 day care centers that did report a need for health promotion, 25% implemented a programme. The main barriers were reported as “demand for other (promotional) programmes”, “no necessity for health promotion” and organisational-structure reasons such as staff, money and time constraints. Desired wishes for future HPPs included “good practicability in day care center life”, “age appropriate content”, “little time requirement” and “parental involvement”. Discussion: It is apparent that wider promotional activity needs to be undertaken. Day care center leaders, sponsors, teachers and parents need to be provided with the required policy information and relevance for early health promotion. The instrumental role that teachers play needs to be highlighted as well as information that programmes for health promotion already exist which correspond to the previously desired outcomes.