Nutrition Now

• Jeong, Kim Eyoung & Cairns, John Alexander (2026). Systematic review of economic evaluation of early- life nutrition interventions to promote healthy eating during the first 1000 days. Public Health Nutrition (PHN). ISSN 1368-9800. doi: 10.1017/s1368980026103061. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective: The aim of this review is to identify economic evidence and approaches used in evaluation of early-life interventions to promote healthy eating in the first 1000 days in community, education, and home settings and establish evidence gaps. Design: Five databases and 5 websites were searched using key words. Findings are presented using a narrative synthesis. Setting: Home, education, and community settings Participants: Pregnant women, infants and young children 0-2 years old Results: Economic evaluations presenting costs and consequences published in English peer-reviewed journals were selected. Overall, the 24 included studies demonstrated mixed quality. Based on CHEERS 2022, titles, comparators, and outcomes were commonly reported, whereas health economic analysis plan (HEAP), heterogeneity, and uncertainty were least reported. Four studies stated the analytical perspectives with clear decision contexts, making the results useful in decision-making. Several studies had a time horizon of 1 year or shorter with unclear decision-context. Four studies presented relatively transparent methods, with the interpretation of results from cost-utility analyses being informative for decision-making. Conclusions: This review identified consistent methodological challenges in the economic evaluation of early-life nutrition interventions. Comparators were inconsistently defined, with the varied definition of ‘standard care’ across studies and settings, limiting comparability and decision relevance. Furthermore, most studies adopted short time horizons, often one year (or shorter), limiting the ability to capture longer-term outcomes such as obesity, educational attainment, and life-course health impacts. Chosen outcomes were narrow, focusing on immediate health outcomes without consideration of broader or downstream effects. In addition, socioeconomic characteristics or exploring differential effects across population groups were rarely reported in the included studies. Addressing these identified issues require more robust and transparent approaches to economic evaluation. Incorporating a HEAP as an integral part of a study protocol ensures that key methodological elements (such as the economic question, PICO, analytical perspectives, time horizons, the approaches to handling uncertainties, and decision contexts) are pre-specified and aligned with decision contexts to support evidence-based decision-making.

• Osorio, Natalie Garzon; Vik, Frøydis Nordgård; Hillesund, Elisabet Rudjord; Helland, Sissel Heidi; Love, Penelope & Abel, Marianne Hope [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2026). A Formative Evaluation of Parental Perceptions Related to Acceptability, Appropriateness, Feasibility, and Reported Use of an e-Learning Resource Targeting Diet in the First 1000 Days: Survey Study. JMIR Formative Research. 10, p. 1–13. doi: 10.2196/84277. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background In October 2022, the Nutrition Now (NN) e-learning resource was implemented within Maternal and Child Healthcare centers and Early Childhood Education and Care centers of a southern Norwegian municipality. The e-learning resource targets expectant parents, parents of children aged 0‐2 years, and Early Childhood Education and Care staff, aiming to promote healthy dietary behaviors during the first 1000 days of life. Objective This study aimed to explore parental perceptions related to the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and reported use of the NN e-learning resource among parents. Methods From October 2022 to May 2023, expecting parents and parents of children aged 0‐2 years were recruited from 2 Norwegian municipalities, one intervention group receiving access to the NN e-learning resource, and one control. Participants in the intervention group received a web-based follow-up questionnaire 7 months after gaining access to the NN e-learning resource. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the 179 participants in the NN study intervention group, 48 completed the web-based follow-up questionnaire administered 7 months after enrollment. Parents rated the e-learning resource positively on items assessing whether they liked and appreciated the resource, perceived it as an appropriate source of information, and found it doable and easy to use. Most respondents reported visiting the resource (38/48, 79%), although only 21% (10/48) reported frequent visits. Less than half of the participants answering the web-based follow-up questionnaire reported having watched the theme films (20/48, 42%), the recipe films (17/48, 35%), or making food using recipes provided in the e-learning resource (20/48, 42%). Conclusions Parents rated the NN e-learning resource positively but reported limited use. These findings point to the need for strategies that enhance engagement with self-guided digital interventions among expectant parents and parents of young children. Future efforts should focus on identifying how to maximize potential adoption of the e-learning resource and evaluate its impact to promote healthy dietary behaviors during the first 1000 days of life.

• Lian, Henrik; Øverby, Nina Cecilie; Vik, Frøydis Nordgård; Medin, Anine Christine; Osorio, Natalie Garzon & Helle, Christine [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Implementation strategies: lessons learned during an e-learning intervention to improve dietary behaviors and feeding practices in early childhood education and care. BMC Nutrition. 11(1). doi: 10.1186/s40795-024-00990-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers play an important role in fostering healthy dietary habits. The Nutrition Now project focusing on improving dietary habits during the first 1000 days of life. Central to the project is the implementation of an e-learning resource aimed at promoting feeding practices among staff and healthy dietary behaviours for children aged 0–3 years in ECEC. Implementing new interventions often presents challenges. This study explores ECEC staff views and experiences with selected strategies for implementing an e-learning resource in ECEC centers in a municipality in Southern Norway. Methods The study is a part of the Nutrition Now study, a hybrid type 1 non-randomized controlled trial. The implementation process followed the Dynamic Integrated Evaluation Model (DIEM). Implementation strategies were selected from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project and included identify and prepare champions, conduct educational meetings, distribute educational materials, create a learning collaborative, and remind clinicians. ECEC teachers from participating ECEC centers in the intervention municipality were recruited as champions. Brief (5–7 min minutes), semi-structured phone interviews, covering key points, were conducted with the champions 8 times, evenly distributed over six months. The interviews were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Results In total, 29 of the invited ECEC centers (53%) participated, and 260 brief interviews (88%) were conducted with champions (n=37). An evaluation of the feedback from the champions suggests that the five selected implementation strategies were acceptable. Five main themes were developed by qualitative analysis: 1) Being a champion resembles what I already do. 2) Educational meetings are fine but take time. I prefer when peers share experiences. 3) Newsletters were helpful and reminded me, but I do not always have enough time to read. 4) Evaluations have increased my awareness, and we do them informally and formally. 5) The regular phone calls reminded me I could receive support and express my opinion Conclusion This study’s findings suggest that several implementation strategies are acceptable for stakeholders in an ECEC e-learning healthy eating intervention. However, time constraints among champions may hinder deep engagement. These results provide valuable insights into how the selected implementation strategies may function in practice and how they are perceived and experienced by the ECECs staff. Trial registration Trial registration on June 6, 2022: ISRCTN10694967.

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• Medin, Anine Christine (2025). Improving diets through early-life nutrition interventions and youth co-creation: examples from Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Medin, Anine Christine & Øverby, Nina Cecilie (2025). Matnyttig – hva skal til for at implementering lykkes? Full text in Research Archive
• Helle, Christine (2025). Matnyttig - hva er det og hva har vi funnet ut av? Om Matnyttigs foreldredel. Full text in Research Archive
• Helland, Sissel Heidi (2025). Matnyttig - Barnehagedelen, forskningsbasert med brukerinvolvering. Full text in Research Archive
• Øverby, Nina Cecilie (2025). Matnyttig- hva er det og hva har vi funnet ut av? Full text in Research Archive
• Vik, Frøydis Nordgård & Worren, Tone Merete (2025). Partnerskap mellom akademia og kommuner for å løse folkehelseutfordringer. Full text in Research Archive
• Øverby, Nina Cecilie; Helle, Christine & Helland, Sissel Heidi (2024). Forskerfokus: Den lange veien mot (noe) Matnyttig. Full text in Research Archive

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