Sugar Champ: Pilot Social Network Intervention to Reduce Intake of Sugary Drinks

The 1.2 million households living in public housing are disproportionately affected by obesity, where prevalence is estimated at 50%. An ecologic framework hypothesizes that this disparity is related, in part, to social and environmental factors within these neighborhoods that influence residents' lifestyles. Social networks and the built environment may work together to promote or inhibit lifestyle behaviors; however, combined social network-built environment interventions have not previously targeted changes in diet. Investigators hypothesize that an intervention that combines a social network approach with strategies that address public housing residents' challenges related to the built environment will improve dietary habits. The investigators' overall aim is to develop a combined social network-built environment intervention to reduce intake of beverages high in added sugars and to pilot test the intervention among residents of public housing developments in Baltimore, MD. The investigators' aim for this work is: 1) To develop a combined social network-built environment intervention to reduce intake of beverages high in added sugars and to pilot test the intervention among residents of public housing developments in Baltimore, MD. Investigators hypothesize that a social network intervention will be feasible and acceptable in promoting healthy lifestyle change, and that this intervention will alter lifestyle behaviors among public housing residents.