About
Gaisce - The President's Award
About the programme
The Sugar Tax Challenge
Overview:
The University College Dublin, College of Business, and Royal College of Surgeons are collaborating to examine the social and environmental factors that influence SSB consumption, as well as the psychological mechanisms that influence consumer behaviour, in an Irish setting.
To achieve these aims, UCD and RCSI have partnered with Gaisce (The President’s Award), a personal development organisation for young people that facilitates programmes designed to develop personal skills and encourages community engagement. In conjunction with the core values of Gaisce, we have designed two 13-week programmes titled the 'Sugar Tax Challenge' (part 1) and the 'Sugar Tax Experimental Study' (part 2). Participants of these programmes will be become citizen scientists, collecting observational data of their environments, while administering surveys designed to capture the socio-environmental and psychological factors that influence their own consumption of SSBs (part 1). Additionally, participants will be taking part in an experimental programme involving the creation of educational messages regarding the relationship of SSBs and health issues, designed to ellicit a change in SSB consumption (part 2).
Impacts & Benefits
Aligned with the Bronze Award's Key Challenge Area's, these programmes have the benefit of developing the personal skills of participants, and encourages the community engagement from a community health point of view. Our hope is that Gaisce participants will gain transferable competencies and skills that can be used in other areas of their education and careers, while helping to create the next generation of thought leaders in health and wellbeing.
Collaborators
This programme is one of several studies that UCD and RCSI are undertaking, to explore the impact of the sugar tax and the socio-environmental factors that can influence its success or failure. One such study will examine purchasing data and attitutdes a representative sample in Ireland. This study will form part of a large comparative international study across Ireland, the UK (Northern Ireland) and the US (west and east coasts – California (University of California, San Francisco) and City of Philadelphia).
The Research Team
Professor Gerardine Doyle, Associate Dean, UCD College of Business, Lead investigator.
Assoc Professor Marius Claudy, UCD College of Business, Co-Investigator.
Dr Shane O’Donnell, Post-doctoral Fellow, UCD Insight Centre for Data Analytics, Co-Investigator.
Dr Grace O’Malley, RCSI and Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, Co-Investigator.
Sarah Browne PhD RD, RCSI, Snr Post-doctoral Researcher, Division of Population Health Science, Co-Investigator.
James O’Connor, Research Assistant, UCD College of Business, Co-Investigator.