Background What, when, and how infants are fed in the first year of life can influence their growth and development. Establishing optimal infant feeding behaviours is therefore crucial. However, trials of infant feeding interventions for early childhood obesity prevention have shown inconsistent results, potentially related to heterogeneity in what and how outcomes are measured. This heterogeneity limits evidence synthesis and the evaluation of intervention effectiveness. A Core Outcome Set (COS) including 26 infant feeding outcomes was previously developed to address this issue. The next step is to establish a Core Outcome Measurement Set (COMS) that specifies how these outcomes can be best measured. Evidence from work to date has informed a draft COMS. The primary aim of this study is to finalise the COMS with key stakeholders to support standardised measurement across research, policy, and practice. The secondary aim is to develop implementation strategies to facilitate uptake of the COMS and identify areas for future research. Methods This multi-method study will involve parents/caregivers, healthcare practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Guided by the Generative Co-Design Framework for Healthcare Innovation, it will include two distinct phases. Phase 1 will consist of online meetings to finalise the COMS including structured voting to reach agreement on measurement recommendations. Phase 2 will involve one online co-design workshop to develop implementation strategies and identify priorities for future research. Both phases will be recorded, transcribed, and analysed using inductive content analysis (Phase 1) and thematic analysis (Phase 2). Participant demographic data and voting results will be analysed descriptively. Findings from both phases will inform the finalised COMS and implementation recommendations. Discussion This study represents the final stage of the Standardised measurement for Childhood Obesity Prevention (SCOPE) Project (www.eiascope.com). Findings from this study will strengthen the design, conduct, and evaluation of interventions to promote optimal infant feeding and growth.
Dutch et al. (Fri,) studied this question.