{ "abstract": "Background\n\nMetabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes, is a major public health concern. Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a critical target for disease prevention and lifestyle modification. Workplace interventions offer a promising opportunity to address barriers to behavior change while strengthening motivation and self-efficacy.Objective\n\nThe authors describe the intervention protocol, fidelity, and feasibility of a theory-informed brief intervention based on motivational interviewing principles to support reductions in SSB consumption among health care workers. The authors also explore changes over time in proposed mechanisms of behavior change.Methods\n\nParticipants (N=314) allocated to the intervention arm of a multicenter randomized controlled trial received a 4-dose intervention consisting of an introductory phone call, a brief counseling session, and 2 booster calls, supplemented by at-home tools targeting stress and craving management. We assessed fidelity to motivational interviewing principles (competence scores) and described feasibility via session adherence. Finally, we explored changes over time in motivation for change and perceived self-efficacy.Results\n\nMore than 60% of enrolled participants completed all 4 sessions, suggesting feasibility and high retention in the context of a remotely delivered workplace intervention. Health coaches achieved basic levels of proficiency in 2 of 4 competency scores: technical (mean 3.23, SD 0.48) and complex reflections (mean 41.91%, SD 15.17%). Preliminary exploratory findings indicate improvements in motivation for change and self-efficacy over time. Finally, we found that the use of brief mindfulness practices were associated with acute reductions in stress and cravings.Conclusions\n\nThis theory-grounded brief motivational intervention may offer a cost-effective and accessible approach for employers to support behavior change related to SSB consumption. Findings from the fully powered randomized controlled trial are needed to determine if the brief intervention can effectively change behavior. This paper establishes the intervention and its framework to inform future implementation.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Center for Health and Community, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, 675 18th St, San Francisco, CA, 94107, United States, 1 4158857733.", "Philip R Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.", "Sutter Health Research Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States.", "Department of Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, United States.", "Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States.", "Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States." ], "article_type": "research article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 12, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Isabella Fornell-Villalobos", "orcid": "0009-0003-6529-1478" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Laurie M Jacobs", "orcid": "0000-0002-9911-028X" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Juliana Van Cleve", "orcid": "0009-0009-7414-4684" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Kathleen J Antonio", "orcid": "0009-0004-8308-3653" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Amanda Pickett", "orcid": "0009-0007-0587-5681" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Melody Pezeshkian", "orcid": "0009-0001-2172-7765" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Tarini Mudunuri", "orcid": "0009-0001-4810-0209" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Ashley E Mason", "orcid": "0000-0002-8744-0185" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Jamey M Schmidt", "orcid": "0009-0009-3426-645X" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Elissa S Epel", "orcid": "0000-0002-8004-2571" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Laura Schmidt", "orcid": "0000-0003-4346-7260" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Rachel M Radin", "orcid": "0000-0003-3776-9481" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1tyakmwmkg1e.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.2196/96240", "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13717331", "id": "d1tyakmwmkg1e", "issns": [ "2561-326X" ], "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954121", "language": "eng", "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Development and Evaluation of Research Methods, Instruments and Tools" ], [ "heading", "Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions" ], [ "heading", "Innovations and Technology for Healthy Eating Education" ], [ "heading", "Occupational Health and Ergonomics/Prevention at the Workplace" ], [ "heading", "Original Paper" ], [ "heading", "Prevention and Health Promotion" ], [ "openalex", "3600|Workplace Health and Well-being" ] ], "openalex": "W7214110805", "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13717331?pdf=render", "pmcid": "PMC13717331", "pmid": "42954121", "published": "2026-10-27", "publisher": "JMIR Publications Inc.", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1tyakmwmkg1e.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-11-01T00:20:36Z", "native_id": "MED:42954121", "source": "europepmc", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954121" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:21:40Z", "native_id": "PMC13717331", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.2196/96240" } ], "subjects": [], "title": "Brief Motivational Workplace Intervention to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Health Care Workers: Intervention Description, Feasibility, Fidelity, and Exploratory Outcomes From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.", "title_text": "Brief Motivational Workplace Intervention to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Health Care Workers: Intervention Description, Feasibility, Fidelity, and Exploratory Outcomes From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-02T12:21:40Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1tyakmwmkg1e", "venue": "JMIR formative research", "versions": [] }