In June 2016, the Philadelphia City Council passed a 1.5 cents per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Given the tax, the climate for promoting water and discouraging SSB consumption in Philadelphia is ideal for testing interventions that may increase water consumption. Specific aims of this study are to: l) determine the effectiveness of a comprehensive multi-level intervention to increase water access and appeal in community recreation centers on center-level water intake and the purchase of outside SSBs; and 2) determine secondary effects on discarded disposable bottles, use of reusable bottles, and recreation center staff consumption of SSBs. The proposed multi-component intervention will include water safety testing, provision of one to three hydration stations per recreation center, distribution of reusable water bottles for youth, a campaign to promote the acceptability of tap water, and the reduction of access to competing unhealthy beverages through vending machine standards and discouraging outside SSBs. Water flow meters will be installed at 28 recreation centers in low-income, minority neighborhoods to collect objective data on water consumption at each center. Observations of center youth will be used to assess prevalence of outside SSBs and usage of reusable water bottles. Staff SSB consumption will be self reported and discarded disposable bottles will be weighed. Multilevel models will be used for analysis of results.
Studying the Effectiveness of an Intervention to Increase Water Access and Appeal for Underserved Populations Outside School Settings
Related Research
March 2020
Toddler Drink Marketing: Opportunities to Address Harmful Practices
Toddler drinks are a relatively new product category, typically offered by infant formula manufacturers and promoted as beneficial for young children ages 12 months and older. Marketing promotes these drinks as the “next step” after infant formula, using claims that imply unproven benefits for children’s nutrition and health. However, these drinks … More
February 2020
Conducting a health-care-technology-based intervention to reduce sugary-beverage consumption for diverse populations of children
The healthcare sector is a promising venue for systems interventions to reduce children’s sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, but clinical staff lack the time for high-intensity in-person interventions. We propose to develop and pilot a parent-informed, technology-enabled healthcare system-based intervention. The goals of the intervention are to: reduce SSB consumption, promote … More
February 2020
Expanding and evaluating a community-based intervention to increase healthy beverage consumption by Navajo preschool children
Diet-related disparities among indigenous youth are driven, in part, by excess sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and limited access to drinking water. Water is K’é targets environmental change at early childhood education (ECE) sites and community-wide systems change to promote a Diné culture of health. ECE sites will select and implement site-based … More