https://news.med.virginia.edu/research/public-health-sciences-professor-jamie-zoellner-[…]am-awarded-3-4-million-to-reduce-sugary-drink-consumption/
Public Health Sciences Professor Jamie Zoellner, PhD, RDN, and her multidisciplinary team were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to engage Head Start families across rural Appalachia and the southern Black Belt to reduce sugary drink consumption.
The multidisciplinary team of co-investigators includes:
- Wen You, PhD, Professor, UVA School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences
- Lee Ritterband, PhD, Professor, UVA School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences
- Kathleen Porter, PhD, RDN, Associate Professor, UVA School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences
- Tisha Hayes, PhD, Associate Professor, UVA School of Education and Human Development
- Tanya Thomas, PhD, Executive Director, Coastal Plain Head Start in Georgia
- Water quality experts from Virginia Tech and Auburn University, including Erin Ling, MS, MEPC, and Eve Brantley, PhD
Dr. Zoellner’s team will work with about 370 families from 12 Head Start centers to evaluate the efficacy of weSIPsmarter, a digital behavioral intervention to reduce sugary drink consumption.
weSIPsmarter will be a highly interactive, structured program consisting of multiple evidence-based behavioral change components, including use of ecological momentary assessment to encourage self-monitoring of beverage behaviors and parenting feeding practices, action planning, a resource help line, and drinking water vouchers for families with concerns related to in-home tap water quality.
Disparities in high sugary drink consumption persist in U.S. rural regions and among low socioeconomic families. This nutrition-related disparity influences the development of several chronic conditions including some types of cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and dental decay.
The long-term goal of this primary prevention research project is to develop an efficacious sugary drink reduction intervention that has the potential for high reach and sustainability among rural, low socioeconomic, preschool-aged children ages 2-5 and their parents.
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