Reducing Sugary Drink Consumption Decreasing in Southwest Santa Rosa

Efforts to improve the health of youth and adults in Roseland through installation of water stations and education about sugar sweetened beverages may have led to a decrease in sugary drink consumption. Survey data of Roseland School District parents and middle- through high school students shows there has been a decrease in the number of sugary drinks consumed from 2015 to 2017.

Sonoma County Department of Health Services convened a collaborative of community partners under the South Santa Rosa HEAL Zone Project, which has been funded since 2007 by grants from Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Program. Local organizations have joined the partnership to help improve health in underserved areas. Programs aimed at reducing sugar sweetened beverage consumption among Southwest Santa Rosa residents ultimately work to address health risks associated with unhealthy weight.

Children and adults living in the Roseland and Moorland neighborhoods are more likely to be overweight and at higher risk of health consequences than those living in more affluent communities. Data from the California 2015-2016 Physical Fitness Testing showed 71 percent of Roseland School District fifth graders were overweight, compared to 39 percent of all fifth graders in Sonoma County.

Studies point to sugar sweetened beverages as the largest contributor to excessive daily caloric intake, which is associated with unhealthy weight. While state and federal laws have been passed to reduce sugary drink consumption, residents and schools in the Roseland and Moorland neighborhoods sought to do more to promote water consumption. 

Water stations with filters and bottle filling capabilities have been installed at all six Roseland schools for students and staff. Community water stations were also installed in the neighborhood near the Joe Rodota Trail and in the Roseland Shopping Center parkette; two additional water stations are being installed in Andy’s Unity Park in the Moorland neighborhood. 

The program also included training and funding for healthy beverage education for students and residents. The selection of water stations as well as education efforts were accomplished with input and support from partnerships between the Community Club of Roseland, Moorland Neighborhood Action Team, Sonoma County Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Roseland School District and the City of Santa Rosa’s Take it From the Tap! program.

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Kaiser Permanente’s community involvement uniquely pairs grant funding with 65 years of clinical expertise, medical research, and volunteerism to support prevention-focused, evidence-based programs that are expanding access to care and creating healthy environments. Kaiser Permanente recently awarded County of Sonoma, Department of Health Services a $1 million grant that will help more people in the Roseland HEAL Zone get access to the resources they need to lead a healthy life. For more information about Kaiser Permanente’s work in the community, visit www.kp.org/communitybenefit/ncal.