Reducing Sugared Fruit Drinks in Alaska Native Children

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Project Abstract Yup’ik children in Alaska’s YK Delta consume an average of 50 teaspoons of sugar each day, 16 times the American Heart Association’s recommended maximum. Most of this sugar is from fruit drinks like Tang and Kool-Aid consumed at home. Consequently, Yup’ik children experience tooth decay rates that are 16x the U.S. average and suffer from oral health inequalities compared to children from communities that are better off. Tooth decay is a multifactorial disease, but our pilot work shows sugared fruit drinks are the key risk factor. YK Delta communities have expressed a desire to target sugared fruit drinks that continue to harm their children. This study is a culmination of over 5 years of engaged research within YK Delta communities to co-develop a culturally-appropriate, feasible, and sustainable program to address persisting public health problems caused by sugared fruit drinks. We propose a 2-arm quasi-experimental behavioral trial in 3 small, isolated Alaska Native communities to test the hypothesis that Community Health Worker-led health education and self- efficacy training for caregivers will decrease child added sugar intake. We will introduce families to sugar-free water enhancers that will be made available through local stores. The Specific Aims are to: (1) Complete pre- intervention activities and finalize the intervention; (2) Implement the intervention and assess outcomes; and (3) Identify intervention improvement opportunities and disseminate findings. This application builds on previous R56 research by the study team and will for the first time seek to change sugared fruit drink intake in Alaska Native communities. 3 communities will be assigned to 1 of 2 arms based on the order communities were recruited into the study. In Communities A and B, 136 Yup’ik children ages 0-10 years will be recruited to test the 6-month culturally-adapted, 5-session intervention consisting of interactive health education and self- efficacy training delivered in-person by an indigenous Community Health Worker. In Community C, 56 children will be recruited to a comparison condition in which health education with the same culturally-adapted content is delivered by mail. Health education will address misinformation about sugared fruit drinks and promote sugar-free water enhancers. Self-efficacy training will empower caregivers to sustain behavior change over time. Local stores in all 3 communities will stock sugar-free water enhancers (Tang, Kool-Aid, and other popular flavors) as a tool to help shift children from sugared fruit drinks. The primary outcomes at the child level are sugared fruit drink intake (24-hour food recalls) and added sugar intake (validated, non-invasive biomarker) and will be measured at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation will maintain and disseminate the program if it works to address a critical problem facing 15,000+ Alaska Native children in the YK Delta. Moreover, it can be adapted to meet the needs of other populations with similar problems, including the millions of indigenous children in the Lower 48.