iSIPsmarter: An RCT to evaluate the efficacy, reach, and engagement of a technology-based behavioral and health literacy intervention to reduce sugary beverages among rural Appalachian adults

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Project Summary: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB, e.g., soda/pop, sweet tea, sports and energy drinks, fruit drinks) are the largest single food source of calories in the United States (US) diet and contributes approximately 7% of total daily energy intake for US adults. Among Appalachian adults, SSB intake is disproportionately high, averaging about 14% of total daily energy intake. There are strong and consistent data documenting relationships among high SSB consumption and numerous health issues such obesity, diabetes, some obesity-related cancers, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and dental decay. Further compounding the SSB problem, the Appalachian region lacks access to providers, medical services, and evidence-based behavioral prevention programs. There is also limited data on technology-based behavioral interventions in Appalachia. However, given recent progress in shrinking the digital divide, the timing is optimal to evaluate technology-based behavioral interventions in this region. The current proposal is designed to target this major SSB dietary risk factor and public health challenge, as well as address notable gaps in the rural e/m-Health literature. Importantly, this proposal builds on our team’s e/m-Health intervention expertise and decade of SSB behavioral intervention research in rural Appalachia. iSIPsmarter is a technology-based behavioral and health literacy intervention targeting SSB reduction and weight reduction/maintenance. It is comprised of six core Internet-delivered modules, an integrated short message service (SMS) strategy to engage users in tracking SSB behaviors, and a cellular enabled scale for in-home weight tracking. iSIPsmarter is a highly interactive, structured, and self-guided program that uses strategies previously proven to promote behavior change. iSIPsmarter also incorporates a stepped care approach to engage users who struggle to complete components of the intervention. The proposed RCT is guided by the RE-AIM framework and targets 244 adults from rural Appalachia. The overall goal is to examine the efficacy of iSIPsmarter in a 2 group [iSIPsmarter vs. static Patient Education (PE) website] by 4 assessment (Pre, 3-, 6- and 18-month follow-up) design. It is hypothesized that iSIPsmarter will be more efficacious at reducing SSB consumption than a PE website at post assessment. Changes in secondary outcomes (e.g. overall dietary quality, weight, quality of life) and maintenance of outcomes at 6- and 18-months post intervention will also be evaluated. Additional secondary aims include to examine reach and representativeness, patterns of user engagement, and cost. Two tertiary aims include exploratory mediation analyses and a systems-level, participatory process to understand context for future organizational-level adoption of iSIPsmarter, and specifically to explore factors that would promote or inhibit a sustainable SSB screening and referral process. The long-term goal of this line of this research is to sustain an effective, scalable, and high reach behavioral intervention to improve SSB behaviors and weight and to reduce SSB-related health inequities and chronic conditions in rural Appalachia and beyond.