Effectiveness of a Community-Based Health Promotion “Rethink Your Drink” on Reducing Sugary Beverage Consumption: A Case Study
Main Article Content
Keywords
Health programming, Obesity, Sweetened drinks
Abstract
Introduction: Obesity rates are rising throughout the United States. As a way to address obesity in a rural city in southwest Kentucky, researchers conducted a “Rethink Your Drink” challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a community health program in reducing the consumption of sugary beverages.
Methods: Researchers conducted a “Rethink Your Drink” Challenge in a rural city in southwest Kentucky. Educational materials illustrated how beverages fell into red, yellow, or green light categories based on sugar content. Materials were provided to corporate sponsors throughout a rural city in southwest Kentucky. Community members (n=296) volunteered to track their beverage consumption over a 4-week period. Researchers collected data sheets at the end of the 4- weeks and analyzed change in beverage habits.
Results: Researchers calculated weekly sugar intake as: [(red drinks * 3) + (yellow drinks * 2.25) + (green drinks * 0)]. Sugary beverage consumption decreased over the four weeks (t = 9.2, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: A community health program addressing sugary beverage consumption is an effective method to bring awareness to the hidden sugars and calories, which lead to obesity and obesity related diseases.
References
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Nutrient Intakes from Food and Beverages: Mean Amounts Consumed per Individual, by Gender and Age. What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2014.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/1314/Table_1_NIN_GE N_13.pdf.
3. HHS, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.), USDA , Center for Nutrition Policy Promotion (U.S.). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015- 2020. Government Printing Office; 2015.
4. United States Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Health and Human Services (2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th edition, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf
5. de Koning L, Malik VS, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverage consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93(6):1321-1327.
6. American Diabetes Association. Economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in 2012. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(4):1033-1046.
7. Hu FB. Resolved: there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar- sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Obes Rev. 2013;14(8):606-619.
8. McGuire S. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Washington, DC: US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, 2015. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(1):202-204.
9. Raatz, S. The Question of Sugar. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department
of Agriculture. 2016. https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains- area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-2012/the-question-of-sugar/
10. Schwartz MB, Schneider GE, Choi Y-Y, et al. Association of a Community Campaign for Better Beverage Choices With Beverage Purchases From Supermarkets. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(5):666-674.