Helping rural Head Start families cut back on sugary drinks
weSipSmarter: An efficacy trial to reduce sugary beverages among rural Head Start parent-child dyads
A digital program that helps parents in rural Head Start communities drink and serve fewer sugary beverages to themselves and their preschool children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301849 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited through your local Head Start center in rural Appalachia or the southern Black Belt to help adapt a digital program with other parents and staff. In the first phase, you and Head Start staff give feedback so the program fits your family's needs; later, families use the tech-based program that focuses on parents as the main agents of change to reduce sugary drinks for both parent and child. The team will track beverage intake over time and report whether the approach reduces sugary drink consumption and can be shared with other communities. The intervention is designed to be low-burden and scalable through existing Head Start channels.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Parents and their preschool-aged children enrolled in rural Head Start programs (RUCC 4-9) in Appalachia or the southern Black Belt are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: Families not enrolled in Head Start, living in non-rural/urban areas, or lacking access to the required technology may not benefit from this specific program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce sugary drink intake in parents and young children and lower risks for obesity and related chronic diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Previous sugary drink interventions and the investigators' prior digital work in rural communities have shown promise, but few trials have targeted parent-child dyads in rural Head Start settings.
Where this research is happening
Charlottesville, United States
- University of Virginia — Charlottesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zoellner, Jamie — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Zoellner, Jamie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.