The use of printed education materials to increase intentions to use nutrition guidelines amongst childcare centres.

INTERVENTION: Childcare centre cooks in the intervention arm will be mailed a hard copy printed education material together with sections of the nutrition guidelines relevant to menu planning. The design of the printed education material will be theory informed and based on evidence from key systematic reviews in the field. The printed education material will be printed a single A4‐sized, double sided and laminated resource. The material will only be mailed out on a single occasion. No other strategy to encourage use of the resource will be undertaken. The number of intervention resourced returned and not successfully mailed out will be recorded internally. CONDITION: implementation of dietary guidelines preventive condition ‐ dietary intake and obesity prevention PRIMARY OUTCOME: Compliance of menu with nutrition guidelines will be assessed by asking cooks to report on the number of serves of food groups provided on their menu via a telephone interview. Intentions to apply nutrition guidelines to menu planning in services will be assessed using a four items on 7‐point Likert Scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) administered by a telephone interview. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Attitudes of cooks towards applying the guidelines will be assessed using five items on a 7‐point Likert Scale administered by a telephone interview. Behavioural regulation (or perceived behavioral control) in regards to implementing the guidelines will be assessed using a six items on a 7‐point Likert Scale administered by a telephone interview. Social influence in regards to implementing the guidelines will be assessed via six items on a 7‐point Likert Scale administered by a telephone interview. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Cooks of centre‐based childcare centers that are open eight or more hours a day and provide the majority of food to children while in care. Cooks are only eligible to participate if they are involved in planning the menus.