{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T00:42:15Z","timestamp":1759970535443,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737417600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Office for Health Improvement and Disparities"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Despite being well-positioned to promote healthy lifestyles in young children, early years practitioners often face barriers to supporting child weight management. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of an e-learning toolkit (HealthyWEY) designed to upskill and support multi-agency professionals to promote healthy weight in early childhood. A total of 54 health visitors\/community nursery nurses, 38 children\u2019s centre staff and 17 other health professionals engaged with the HealthyWEY e-learning, which drew on self-determination theory and consisted of nine modules that were completed over 7\u201310 weeks. Non-parametric statistical analysis using Wilcoxon\u2019s signed-rank tests were used to explore participants\u2019 practice-based knowledge, psychological needs satisfaction and motivations for prioritising pre-school child weight from pre- to post-intervention. Focus groups (n = 11) were conducted with a sub-sample of multi-agency professionals (n = 39) to explore the process of implementation across sites, while interviews were also conducted with two parents\/carers who took part in consultations with HealthyWEY-trained practitioners. After completing the HealthyWEY e-learning, participants perceived fewer barriers to pre-school child weight management (median change = \u22120.7; p &lt; 0.001), greater autonomy (median change = 0.7, p &lt; 0.001), competence (median change = 0.8, p &lt; 0.001) and relatedness (median change = 0.4, p &lt; 0.001) and a higher autonomous motivation towards promoting healthy weight (median change = 0.3, p &lt; 0.001). E-learning was perceived to be highly relevant to participants\u2019 roles and congruent with local child weight strategies. Challenges to implementation included time constraints and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for a better user experience were offered by enhancing the toolkit\u2019s design and interactivity. Engagement with the HealthyWEY e-learning led to promising changes in perceived barriers and motivational variables. The toolkit was perceived to be acceptable amongst multi-agency workforces, albeit challenging to prioritise within time-pressured health and early years settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22020137","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T11:47:32Z","timestamp":1737460052000},"page":"137","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the HealthyWEY E-Learning Toolkit for Promoting Healthy Weight in the Early Years"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5648-146X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"James E.","family":"Harrison","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Activity Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2EX, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8133-5595","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julie","family":"Abayomi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shaima","family":"Hassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZX, UK"},{"name":"NIHR Applied Research Collaboration ARC NWC, Liverpool L3 5TF, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9851-5421","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lawrence","family":"Foweather","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Activity Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2EX, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Clare","family":"Maxwell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L2 2ER, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Deborah","family":"McCann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Activity Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2EX, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Garbett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Activity Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2EX, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Nugent","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn BB1 7DY, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daisy","family":"Bradbury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Manchester and Salford Pain Centre, Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance, Salford M6 8HD, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hannah","family":"Timpson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L2 2QP, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8656-299X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorna","family":"Porcellato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L2 2ER, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marian","family":"Judd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HCRG Care Group Services Limited, Salisbury SP4 6AT, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Chisholm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GF, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nabil","family":"Isaac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cornerstone Practice and Health Care, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn BB1 2HR, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Beth","family":"Wolfenden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn BB1 7DY, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amy","family":"Greenhalgh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn BB1 7DY, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paula M.","family":"Watson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Activity Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2EX, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1159\/000524962","article-title":"Integrated approaches to combatting childhood obesity","volume":"78","author":"Verduci","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann. 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