A Qualitative Study of Parents With Children 6 to 12 Years Old: Use of Restaurant Calorie Labels to Inform the Development of a Messaging Campaign

U.S. law mandates that chain restaurants with 20 or more locations post calorie information on their menus to inform consumers and encourage healthy choices. This study aimed to better understand parents’ perceptions and use of calorie labeling and the types of messages that might increase use. Researchers conducted 10 focus groups (n = 58) and More

Urban School Food Infrastructure: Current Issues, Challenges, and Solutions

In the next year, an estimated 1 in 4 children will experience food insecurity (up from 1 in 6, pre-pandemic), disproportionately impacting children in low-income households and racial/ethnic minorities. To mediate loss of school meals during closures and reduce COVID-19 exposure, Congress authorized the USDA to permit local education authorities to apply approaches from the More

Hydrate Philly: An Intervention to Increase Water Access and Appeal in Recreation Centers

Previous interventions to increase water access and consumption have focused on school settings, have shown mixed results on sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, and have rarely addressed tap water safety. Our randomized controlled trial examined how improving access and appeal of water in recreation centers in low-income neighborhoods affected counts of SSBs carried by youth attending More

Studying the Impact of Financial Incentives at Point of Purchase on Low-Income Consumers’ Purchase of Healthy Food and, Subsequently, on Family Health

To address diet quality disparities in low-income families, policymakers and health experts recommend strategies such as financial incentives to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs). Real-time incentives for purchasing FV and variable incentives are promising, untested strategies to improve families’ diets and health. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of More

Evaluating Healthy Vending Policies for Youth in Four Cities

Vending machines are a common source for low nutrient, energy-dense snacks and beverages and youth can easily access vending machines at many public spaces such as parks, recreation centers, and swimming pools. Many cities are beginning to adopt healthy vending policies in public areas, but evidence regarding best practices for developing, implementing, and evaluating these healthy More

Studying the Effectiveness of an Intervention to Increase Water Access and Appeal for Underserved Populations Outside School Settings

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 More