Randomized Controlled Trial of a Clinic-Based Intervention to Promote Healthy Beverage Consumption Among Latino Children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate an educational module for Latino parents about the health effects of sweet beverages. Latino parents were randomized to receive the beverage module or a control module. Child beverage consumption was assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, 2 months, and 3 months via a beverage recall survey. At 2-week follow-up, children of intervention participants had a mean reduction in 7-day total sugar-sweetened beverage and 100% fruit juice consumption of 16 ounces while controls had a mean increase of 4 ounces ( P = .01). At 2-month and 3-month follow-up, there was a reduction in mean total sugar-sweetened beverage and 100% fruit juice consumption among both intervention and control children. An educational module on beverages for Latino parents reduced child consumption of sweet beverages at 2-week follow-up. However, study participation appears to have also reduced controls' beverage consumption suggesting that frequent intensive surveys of beverage intake may be an intervention unto itself.

Keywords: Latinos; beverages; health education; obesity prevention; oral health; primary care.

Figure 1

Proportion of intervention and control participants who reported that their child had consumed any SSB on the day prior and the proportion who reported that their child consumed greater than 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice with standard error bars.