Beverages and Student Health (BASH)

BEVERAGES AND STUDENT HEALTH (BASH)

OVERVIEW

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Adolescents consuming at least one serving of sugar-sweetened beverages per day.

Beverages and Student Health (BASH) is a program aiming to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by providing adolescents and their families with non-caloric beverages. Adolescents and their families receive weekly home deliveries of non-caloric beverages, of their choosing, for 25 weeks. The number of beverages each household receives is based on the following calculation: four servings per day for the adolescent and two servings per day for each additional family member living in the household. Families also receive advice on how to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages when outside of the home and weekly phone calls to assess their satisfaction with their beverage choices and home deliveries; during these phone calls, families are provided with motivational counseling. In addition, families receive monthly mailings with educational messages of the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages on weight gain, tooth decay, and hunger, and to be aware of misleading beverage labels and advertising; refrigerator magnets are also mailed to families to reinforce the message, “Think Before You Drink.” At the study’s completion, all adolescents in the study received a $100 gift card to a local shopping mall.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Ebbeling CA, Feldman HA, Osganian SK, Chomitz VR, Ellenbogen SJ, Ludwig DS. (2006). Effects of Decreasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on Body Weight in Adolescents: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. Pediatrics, 117:673-680.

Evaluated population: A total of 103 adolescents 13-18 years of age, with an average age of 16 years. Approximately 55% of participants were female and approximately 64% were non-white.

Approach: Participants were recruited through partnering with a local high school. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=53) or the control group (n=50). Participants were excluded if they were currently dieting, taking prescription medication affecting weight and those with a BMI below the 25^th percentile. Participants were assessed on height and weight measurements, to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), at baseline and follow-up. Participants were also given “surprise” phone calls, on four separate occasions, to assess self-report 24-hour dietary and physical activity. Those in the control group received weekly deliveries of non-caloric beverages for four weeks after the study’s completion as a token of appreciation for having participated in the research study.

Results: At follow-up, there was no significant difference in BMI between the two groups. However, a subgroup analysis, by weight status at baseline, found intervention participants in the higher baseline BMI threshold had significantly different BMIs at follow-up compared with their similar baseline weight counterparts in the control group. There were no differences between the two study groups for middle and lower BMI thresholds.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References

SUMMARY & CATEGORIZATION

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant age: Adolescents (12-17), Youth (16+)

Program component: Home-based, Community-based

Measured outcomes: Physical health

KEYWORDS: Adolescents (12-17), Youth (16+), High School, Home-based, Community-based, Nutrition

Last Updated: 6/30/10