Changes in Local Government Priorities and Stakeholder Satisfaction Following a Healthy Drinks Capacity‐Building Intervention in Sports and Recreation Facilities in Victoria, Australia

TL;DR

This study found that local government staff and customers in Victoria, Australia, consistently support promoting healthy drinks in sports facilities, even after a two-year intervention.

Contribution

The study demonstrates sustained stakeholder support for healthy drink policies in local government sports facilities.

Findings

Intervention LGs maintained high priorities for promoting healthy eating compared to control LGs.

Customer and staff support for healthy eating in facilities remained high before and after the intervention.

LG prioritization of healthy eating appears essential for implementing healthy drink policies.

Abstract

Local government (LG) facilities such as libraries, clubs and sport and recreation centres generally offer and promote nutritionally poor foods that may contribute to excess energy intake. It is unclear what effect exposure to a healthy food retail initiative may have on customer and staff support for such changes. This study investigated the association of a healthy drink intervention in LG‐owned sporting facilities on changes in (i) intervention LG attitudes and facility healthy food and drink provision, compared to control LGs; and (ii) intervention LG customer and staff support for the intervention.

Eight Victorian LGs implemented a two‐year intervention to limit sugary drink availability in LG‐owned sporting facilities. At baseline (2018) and follow‐up (2020), attitudinal surveys were sent to intervention LG staff (baseline: n = 162; follow‐up: n = 183) and customers (baseline: n = 1079; follow‐up: n = 1188), and policy surveys were sent to all state LGs. Baseline and follow‐up responses, and policy survey responses between 8 intervention and 24 control LGs were compared using logistic regression.

Intervention LGs' baseline priorities for promoting healthy eating were higher than control LGs, with no change in priorities at follow‐up. Intervention LG staff and customers' belief that sporting facilities should promote healthy eating remained high between baseline (customers 79%; staff 76%) and follow‐up (customers 75%; staff: 73%).

Facility staff and customers support interventions to align sporting facilities' healthy lifestyle message with healthier food environments.

LG prioritisation of healthy eating appears to be a prerequisite for LG healthy drink policies.