Formative Research to Develop DC-SIPS: A Multilevel Intervention to Reduce Sugary Drink Intake and Promote Water Intake Among Black Youth in Washington, DC.

OBJECTIVE

Develop a multilevel intervention to reduce sugary drink intake and increase water intake among African American children in Washington, DC.

DESIGN

Qualitative interviews and surveys with pediatricians, children, and their parents. Three key phases of intervention development guided the research: (1) pediatrician (n = 6) feedback on the "Decreasing Children's Sugar Intake through Pediatricians and Social Marketing" intervention concept, (2) initial feedback from children (n = 10) and parents (n = 7) on intervention concept, branding and messaging content, and (3) additional feedback from children (n = 7) and parents (n = 6) on the revised branding and messaging content.

SETTING

Pediatric primary care clinic in an underresourced area of Washington, DC.

PARTICIPANTS

Pediatricians, children aged 11-14 years seen at the clinic, and their parents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Feedback on the intervention concept and prototype content.

ANALYSIS

Thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for survey responses.

RESULTS

All 3 key informant groups expressed enthusiasm for the intervention concept. Key suggestions included incorporating incentive-based challenges and suggestions for alternative beverages. Feedback on branding and messaging was primarily related to enhancing aesthetics and improving the relatability of the content.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Formative research informed the development of a "Decreasing Children's Sugar Intake through Pediatricians and Social Marketing" intervention plan, which will be pilot-tested for feasibility and acceptability.