Focus Area: Beverages

Examining the Degree of Implementation of Healthy Beverage Policies in Child-Care Programs in Georgia to Inform Health Promotion

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Increasing access to water and other healthy beverages and reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are viable strategies to prevent childhood obesity. In 2014, Georgia (GA) added beverage provisions to child-care licensing regulation. This study will examine the extent to which beverage policies are implemented. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) assess the More

Examining Differences by Social and Demographic Characteristics of Schools in the Implementation of Water-Quality Practices and Water-Access Policies

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Ensuring safe, accessible drinking water in schools is a national health priority. Students in schools that provide free water consume more water, potentially replacing sugar-containing beverages and promoting a healthy weight. The aims of this study are to: 1) identify whether practices related to school water quality, availability, and education are being implemented in schools More

Examining Bottled-Water Restrictions and Environmental Concerns as an Opportunity to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption Among Children and Adults

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Policies that restrict bottled water sales for environmental and sustainability purposes, and policies that increase access to bottled water to reduce sugary drink access, may be working at cross-purposes to the detriment of the environment and the public’s health. This study will explore policies that restrict the use of bottled water and describe opportunities presented More

Conducting Research to Promote Healthy Weight Gain During Children’s First 1,000 Days, Particularly Among Disproportionately Burdened Populations

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The first 1,000 days describes the period from pre-pregnancy through age 2 years, and is increasingly recognized as a critical period for development of childhood obesity. The overall goal of this study is to develop and refine health messaging for future interventions among families living in Washington Heights, a low-income New York City neighborhood with More

Testing Drinking Water in California Public Schools for Lead and Other Contaminants in the Context of an Obesity-Prevention Strategy

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Drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is an important obesity prevention strategy. Although schools have taken great strides to improve drinking water access, the water crisis in Flint, Mich., and its aftermath have highlighted the importance of assuring that the water provided in schools is safe to drink. This study will partner with national experts More

Examining Home-Visiting Strategies to Prevent Obesity Among American Indians, Focusing on Early Childhood Outcomes and Water Insecurity

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Reservation-based American Indian (AI) children suffer the highest rates of childhood obesity in the United States. This project will provide evidence to support the integration of childhood obesity prevention modules into government-funded home-visiting programs. It will also identify the role of water insecurity in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. The specific aims of the study are More

The Influence of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Warnings: A Randomized Trial of Adolescents’ Choices and Beliefs

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California, New York, and the cities of San Francisco and Baltimore have introduced bills requiring health-related warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages. This study measured the extent to which these warning labels influence adolescents’ beliefs and hypothetical choices. Over 2,000 adolescents ages 12-18 completed an online survey in which they chose a beverage in a hypothetical More

A Trial of the Efficacy and Cost of Water Delivery Systems in San Francisco Bay Area Middle Schools, 2013

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This study aimed to examine the efficacy and cost of two water delivery systems—water dispensers with cups and water coolers with cups—in increasing students’ lunchtime intake of water in lower-income middle schools. Twelve middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in a cluster randomized control trial in which they were assigned to one More

Evaluating Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Advertising prior to Implementation of the San Francisco Warning Label Ordinance

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Starting in July 2016, San Francisco, Calif., will require prominent warning labels on most sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) advertisements (i.e., “WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay”). The purpose of this project is to collect baseline data on the presence and types of SSB print advertising visible in a sample More