How providing a low-cost water filter pitcher led Latino parents to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages and increase their water intake: Explanatory qualitative results from the Water Up!@Home intervention trial

Claudia Santillán-Vázquez, Lucero Hernández, Amanda C. Reese, Rosalina Burgos-Gil, Sean D. Cleary, Ivonne M. Rivera, Joel Gittelsohn, Mark C. Edberg, Rafael Monge-Rojas, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to explain results of the Water Up!@Home randomised controlled trial where low-income parents were randomised to receive an educational intervention +a low-cost water filter pitcher or only the filter. Parents in both groups had reported statistically significant reductions in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and increases in water intake post-intervention. Design: Qualitative explanatory in-depth interviews analysed thematically and deductively. Setting: Washington, DC metropolitan area, USA. Participants: Low-income Latino parents of infants/toddlers who had participated in the Water Up! @Home randomised controlled trial. Results: The filter-stimulated water consumption in both groups by (1) increasing parents' perception of water safety; (2) acting as a cue to action to drink water; (3) improving the flavour of water (which was linked to perceptions of safety) and (4) increasing the perception that this option was more economical than purchasing bottled water. Safe and palatable drinking water was more accessible and freely available in their homes; participants felt they did not need to ration their water consumption as before. Only intervention participants were able to describe a reduction in SSB intake and described strategies, skills and knowledge gained to reduce SSB intake. Among the comparison group, there was no thematic consensus about changes in SSB or any strategies or skills to reduce SSB intake. Conclusions: A low-cost water filter facilitated water consumption, which actively (or passively for comparison group) displaced SSB consumption. The findings have implications for understanding and addressing the role of water security on SSB consumption.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3195-3203
Number of pages9
JournalPublic health nutrition
Volume25
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 19 2022

Keywords

  • Explanatory qualitative interviews
  • Infants and toddlers
  • Latino/Hispanic
  • Sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Tap water

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Medicine (miscellaneous)

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