Table 6 Themes identified from focus group discussions exploring perceptions and experiences of the ToyBox Study Malaysia Program
Emerged theme | Sub-theme | Discussed by |
|---|---|---|
Implementation | Barriers: | |
• The logbook can be quite confusing to fill up | Teachers and assistants | |
• ToyBox activities can clash with the Kindergarten schedule | Teachers and assistants | |
• Kangaroo stories were boring and long | Teachers and assistants | |
• The questionnaires used were too long with too many items | Teachers, assistants, and parents | |
• Limited space to carry out activities for reducing sedentary behavior in the classroom | Teachers and assistants | |
• Limited outdoor space to carry out physical activity | Teachers and assistants | |
• The use of accelerometers in measuring physical activity discouraged participation in ToyBox | Parents | |
Facilitators: | ||
• Instructions are easy to follow up | Teachers and assistants | |
• ToyBox activities fit into the kindergartens' syllabus, especially drinking and snacking | Teachers and assistants | |
• Not burdensome, just need to adapt activities to students’ interest level | Teachers and assistants | |
• The provision of water dispensers helped in the promotion of drinking water | Teachers and assistants | |
• The “Half-half-quarter” plate concept helped to create awareness about the importance of balanced meals | Teachers and assistants | |
• Sensory games for the physical activity module have been adopted into the Sports Day activity | Teachers and assistants | |
Impact | • Change of behavior among children ✓ children like to drink water compared to sweet beverages ✓ eat more fruits and vegetables, ✓ prefer healthier food than junk food ✓ willing to try new foods ✓ less choosy in food choice | Teachers, assistants, and parents |
• Parents ✓ better parent-children relationship ✓ learned from their children about avoidance of sweet drinks and food | Parents | |
• Teachers ✓ more creative in teaching ✓ more health conscious | Teachers and assistants | |
Sustainability | • ToyBox program can be implemented with support from all parties | Teachers and assistants |
• The provision of materials in teaching is important in the implementation of the ToyBox program | Teachers and assistants | |
• Routine anthropometric measurement helps to monitor the health status of children | Teachers and assistants |