Feasibility and acceptability of a school-based Group Motivational Interviewing intervention to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages among young people in East London: DISS feasibility study

Introduction: Young people consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) regularly which increases their risk of obesity and dental caries. School-based interventions can reduce the consumption of SSBs. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a Group Motivational Interviewing intervention delivered by teachers to reduce SSB consumption among 12-13 year-olds in secondary schools in East London to prevent weight gain. Methods: A feasibility study with an embedded exploratory mixed-methods design was conducted. Participants included children aged 12-13 years old and five teachers. Intervention was co-developed with teachers and young people, which included three components: Group Motivational Interviewing training to teachers to deliver two sessions to young people, a mobile application for young people was developed to support them with behaviour change and a resource pack for parents/carers. The main outcome measures at baseline and follow-up were anthropometric, dietary and lifestyle behaviours. Feasibility measures included recruitment and retention rates, intervention delivery and acceptability. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data and descriptive analysis for the quantitative data. Results: One secondary school was recruited despite attempting to recruit six schools, and a second school was recruited to co-develop the intervention. Five teachers, 49 young people and their parents (n=26) were recruited in one school. At follow-up (n=47), SSB consumption decreased, and water consumption increased, but this was based on a limited dietary recall sample. The main challenge was the recruitment of schools due to limited school resources and organisational factors. In terms of acceptability, once young people were recruited, they reported positive attitudes towards the intervention whereas teachers found it less feasible due to structural constraints. Conclusions: Although the intervention was acceptable and feasible in school settings, there were significant challenges in recruitment of schools. The intervention was more acceptable for students than teachers. This study showed the importance of conducting feasibility studies prior to a large trial.