Reduced Availability of Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Diet Soda Has a Limited Impact on Beverage Consumption Patterns in Maine High School Youth
Abstract
Objective
To examine change in high school students' beverage consumption patterns pre- and post-intervention of reduced availability of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and diet soda in school food venues.
Design
A prospective, quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study design.
Setting
Public high schools.
Participants
A convenience sample from control (n = 221) and intervention (n = 235) high schools.
Intervention
Schools aimed to reduce (n = 4) or not change (n = 3) availability of SSB and diet soda in food venues for 1 school year.
Main Outcome Measures
Subjects' beverage servings/day was determined from a food frequency questionnaire pre- and post-intervention.
Analysis
Two-by-two mixed analysis of variance model compared pre- to post-intervention servings/day between control and intervention subjects, stratified by gender.
Results
Consumption of SSB decreased in both intervention and control boys (F = 53.69, P < .05) and girls (F = 22.87, P < .05). Intervention girls decreased diet soda consumption as compared to control girls (F = 6.57, P < .05).
Conclusion and Implications
Reducing availability of SSB in schools did not result in a greater decrease in SSB consumption by intervention as compared to control subjects. The impact of reducing availability of SSB at school may be limited. A better understanding of beverage consumption patterns may be needed to determine the efficacy of school food policies on those youth susceptible to obesity.
1Exercise, Health, and Sport Sciences Department, University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine
2Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Augusta, Maine
3Medical Statistics, Bassett Research Institute, Cooperstown, NY
4Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Augusta, Maine
Address for correspondence: Janet E. Whatley Blum, ScD, Associate Professor, Exercise, Health, and Sport Sciences Department, University of Southern Maine, 37 College Ave., Gorham, ME 04038; Phone: (207) 780-4175; Fax: (207) 780-4745
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funding for this study (grant 03022).
ABSTRACT