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A paucity of evidence exists regarding the impact of workplace dietary interventions on employees’ off-duty dietary intakes. This study assessed the impact of workplace dietary interventions that included nutrition education and environmental dietary modification both alone and in combination on employees’ dietary intakes inside (on-duty) and outside (off-duty) of work. A pre–post study on employees’ on and off-duty dietary intakes was undertaken. Data were obtained from a complex workplace dietary intervention study (Food Choice at Work Trial). Four manufacturing workplaces were allocated to: Control (n = 111), nutrition education (n = 226), environmental dietary modification (n = 113) and nutrition education and environmental dietary modification combined (n = 400) (2013–14). Seven- to nine-month follow-up data were obtained for 517 employees (61% response) [Control (n = 67), Education (n = 107), Environment (n = 71) and Combined (n = 272)]. Dietary intakes were measured using 24-h dietary recalls. Differences between on and off-duty mean dietary intakes were compared and regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders. Significant reductions in on-duty intakes of total fat (−14.2 g/day, p = 0.000), saturated fat (−7 g/day, p = 0.000), salt (−1.4 g/day, p = 0.000) and total sugars (−8.9 g/day, p = 0.003) were observed in the Combined and in the Environment [total fat (−11.4 g/d, p = 0.017) and saturated fat (−8.8 g/day, p = 0.000)]. In the Combined, significant changes were also observed in off-duty intakes of total fat (−10.0 g/day, p = 0.001), saturated fat (−4.2 g/day, p = 0.001), salt (−0.7 g/day, p = 0.020) and total sugars (−8.1 g/day, p = 0.020). Food service can have a positive impact in our everyday environments, including inside and outside of work. Dietary interventions combining nutrition education and environmental dietary modification can improve employees’ on and off-duty dietary intakes.

The most critical period of human development is from conception to age six years when important brain structures develop. These structures influence child development, well-being, learning, and behaviours that follow. Research shows children from economically disadvantaged areas have poorer developmental, health, and lifelong outcomes. A considerable proportion of developmental delay is avoidable and early detection and intervention can improve child, family, and community outcomes. Ireland’s disjointed early intervention system sees children from more affluent communities access services faster through paid private assessment and intervention. KidScope is the only community paediatric clinic in Ireland to offer assessment and onward referral from birth to six years within a disadvantaged area. The clinic intercepts the gap within the early intervention system and breaks the cycle of intergenerational poverty by disrupting the impact exclusion to healthcare has on vulnerable children and families. We aim to evaluate KidScope in order to contribute to the evidence on addressing avoidable developmental delay in disadvantaged areas through early detection and timely referral to services. Findings to date highlight the challenges vulnerable families face when accessing paediatric healthcare, the healthcare needs of children experiencing adversity, and how community paediatric clinics identify and support developmental delay.

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This paper explores the processes involved in developing, embedding and sustaining an ECCE practitioner capacity building programme in the community through an interagency approach, which utilises mentoring and coaching strategies for increased knowledge and skills uptake. There is now conclusive international evidence that early childhood care and education (ECCE) is vital in children’s learning and development, and that the benefits are long-lasting, and are more cost-effective than educational investments and remedial interventions later in life. This signifies the importance of high quality ECCE for development and learning, and highlights the potential impact of early childhood intervention programmes. This paper explores the implementation of a quality improvement strategy in seven ECCE centres to improve child-outcomes as part of the Young Knocknaheeny Area Based Childhood Programme (YK). Utilising evidence-based programmes, practitioners from a range of disciplines, working in a low-income community with high levels of adversity, are immersed in an environment of continuous learning in line with best practice implementation science. The core elements of the quality improvement strategy focused on language supports for staff (Hanen Learning Language and Loving It™ training), curriculum enhancement ( HighScope curriculum training), onsite mentoring for staff, and an Environment Enhancement Fund for each centre. The implementation of a Mentoring Programme involved weekly site visits by a specialist onsite mentor in which the implementation of curriculum content and the suggested environmental changes and teaching strategies were overseen and supported. Pre and post Environmental Rating Scale (ERS) assessments; ITERS-R (crèche) and ECERS-3 (pre-school); showed significant improvements in the quality of ECCE services in the YK catchment area following ECCE practitioners participation in the quality improvement initiative. Pre-school rooms across the seven ECCE centres experienced an overall improvement of +2.5 on the ERS scales, and crèche rooms experienced an overall improvement of +2.4. Approximately 700 children aged 1 to 5 years indirectly benefitted from YK-delivered curriculum and language training programmes in their ECCE settings.