UVA tests program to reduce families’ sugary drink consumption

University of Virginia researchers are testing a digital program designed to help rural families across Appalachia and the South reduce their consumption of sugary drinks.

Backed by a $669,251 grant from the National Cancer Institute, the team from the UVA School of Medicine and UVA School of Education and Human Development have rolled out the weSIPsmarter program to eight Head Start programs – which support children’s development from birth through age 5 – in Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio.

Sugary drinks are the largest single source of added calories for Americans and account, on average, for about 8% of children’s daily calories and 7% among adults, said researcher Jamie Zoellner, PhD, RD, a registered dietician with UVA’s Department of Public Health Sciences. Nearly half of American children ages 2-5 consume sugary drinks every day, Zoellner said. Sugary drink consumption increases the risk for a range of health conditions, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Sugary drink consumption among adults is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, she added, which is why the study evaluating weSIPsmarter is targeting both adults and their young children.

“Research shows that helping parents build knowledge, confidence and healthy attitudes about sugary drinks can improve what young children drink. Factors such as parents’ understanding of healthy beverages, their own drinking habits and how they offer drinks to their children can all influence a child’s intake of sugary drinks,” said Zoellner, the study’s principal investigator. “This is especially important because adults ages 18 to 34, the age group that includes many preschool parents, consume the highest amounts of sugary drinks themselves.”

How weSIPsmarter Works

The program has six online “cores” – similar to book chapters – that provide information and activities designed to motivate families who volunteer for the study to reduce their sugary drink consumption. Automated reminder emails, along with text messages and phone calls as needed, encourage families to complete all six cores. Families report their daily sugary drink intake either by responding to a text message or by logging into a study website. Parents also have the option to track their weight daily by stepping onto a digital scale with cellular connectivity provided free as part of the program.

Researchers will primarily evaluate the program based on whether it reduces sugary drink consumption among children, Zoellner said. Other outcomes that will be measured include parents’ sugary drink consumption, overall beverage and diet quality, body mass index and families’ quality of life.

Getting Involved

The UVA research team has enrolled 94 families at four Head Start locations and expects to enroll 372 families across 12 locations, Zoellner said. Researchers are looking for four additional rural Head Start programs in Appalachia or the South to join the study, she said. For more information on participating in the study (IRB-SBS #6590), program leaders can contact Donna Brock at 434.962.5870 or djbrock@virginia.edu. 

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