What is Promoting CHANGE?

This project will empower local government-owned or managed facilities, such as sporting facilities, art centres, libraries, and community centres, to promote more nutritious ‘green’ options over less nutritious ‘red’ options by looking at the availability, pricing, labeling, and advertising of foods and drinks (in line with the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices guidelines).

Why is Promoting CHANGE needed?

The food outlets where people buy their food and drink have an enormous role to play in making it easier for Victorians to eat nutritious foods to support their health and wellbeing.

The Promoting CHANGE project has been launched to support Victorian local government facilities to shift towards healthier food and drinks in their food outlets.

What are the benefits of Promoting CHANGE?

  • Participating facilities will learn the most effective strtegies to find ‘win-win’ opportunities to support their customers’ health
  • The impact of Promoting CHANGE will be evaluated by looking at the food and drinks available for sale and what customers buy
  • Tools and resources will be developed to help suppor other communities to promote more nutritious foods in their food outlets
  • Local govenments involved are showing a strong commitment to making nutritious food the ‘new normal’ for Australians

 

How will it work?

Local governments will receive a multi-component support package to assist with making healthy changes, which includes a dedicated project officer as human resource support, training and assistance from National Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service, feedback on progress, and financial support. 

The impact of these changes will be evaluated by comparing the food and drinks offered and sold in facilities implementing the changes, with ‘control’ facilities, which will continue to operate as usual. Eventually, this ‘control’ group will also be included in the supported Promoting CHANGE program following the trial.

When is this happening?

The three-year trial started in July 2023 when local governments in the first intervention group received support to make changes. Local governments in the ‘control’ group (where no changes will initially be made) will receive a one-year intervention from mid-2026.

Promoting CHANGE Project Summary
Promoting CHANGE News Article

Trial evaluation outcomes

Our evaluation will assess the impact of the 3-year Promoting CHANGE support model compared to usual practice by following the ‘RE-AIM’ evaluation framework1 and based on the following outcomes: 

Promoting CHANGE partners

Promoting CHANGE is a joint initiative led by Deakin University, in partnership with City of Greater Bendigo, City of Greater Geelong, City of Greater Shepparton, City of Merri-bek, City of Monash, City of Yarra, Maroondah City Council, Menzies School of Health Research, Monash University, Municipal Association of Victoria, Nillumbik Shire Council, National Nutrition Foundation, Sport & Recreation Victoria, The University of Newcastle, and the Victorian Department of Health. Promoting CHANGE is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Project Grant (GNT2015440). The contents of this webpage are the responsibility of the authors and should not be attributed to the NHMRC.

Academic Background of Trial & Design Outcomes

Promoting CHANGE is a type 2 effectiveness-implementation hybrid design trial. This is an approach that combines the study of an intervention’s effectiveness with the examination of its implementation. This design is particularly useful in healthcare and public health research, where the goal is not only to determine if an intervention works (effectiveness) but also to understand how to implement it successfully in real-world settings. 

Benefits of a Type 2 Hybrid Design: 

  • Accelerated Translation: By studying both effectiveness and implementation simultaneously, this design can speed up the translation of research findings into practice. 
  • Practical Relevance: It provides insights into not only whether an intervention works but also how it can be successfully adopted and sustained in real-world settings. 
  • Comprehensive Understanding: Researchers gain a more holistic understanding of the factors that influence both the outcomes of the intervention and the success of its implementation.

Source: KIRSTYEVIDENCE 

Importance of Implementation Science Research: 

  • Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: It addresses the persistent challenge of translating research findings into practical, everyday use. Even when interventions are proven effective in controlled research settings, they often fail to achieve similar results when implemented in real-world settings due to various barriers. 
  • Improving Public Health Outcomes: By understanding and overcoming these barriers, implementation science can help ensure that effective interventions reach the populations that need them most, thereby improving public health outcomes. 
  • Policy and Practice Guidance: The findings from implementation science research can inform policy decisions and guide best practices in various fields, leading to more effective and sustainable programs and services. 

Trial Logic Model 

Useful Resources

The following resources support the Promoting CHANGE project:

Our Newsletters

Promoting CHANGE Press – the newsletter of the Promoting CHANGE project 

The “Promoting CHANGE Press” has been developed to keep partners and stakeholders up to date with the Promoting CHANGE project. 

The first edition of this newsletter landed in inboxes in September 2023. 

This newsletter is your ‘go-to’ for project information and updates, spotlighting council level initiatives and events, useful resources and research studies, and more – ensuring you have all the information you need for your role in this Australian-first collaboration. 

Read the Promoting CHANGE Press:

 

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Meet the Team

 

 

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