Dataset Information

Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine associations between Canadian adolescents' sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and several school food environment characteristics, and to investigate differences in these characteristics between schools in provinces with voluntary (Alberta) v. mandatory (Ontario) provincial school nutrition policies.

Design

We used a questionnaire to assess the number of weekdays participants consumed three SSB categories (soft drinks, sweetened coffees/teas, energy drinks) and various sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. We examined the in-school water fountain accessibility, vending machines' contents and presence of various food outlets within schools' 1 km buffer. We developed hierarchical Poisson regression models to identify associations between student- and school-level characteristics and students' SSB outcomes.

Setting

Alberta and Ontario, Canada.

Subjects

Adolescents (n 41 829) from eighty-nine secondary schools.

Results

Compared with their Ontarian counterparts, Albertan participants had a significantly higher rate of SSB intake across all drink categories and SSB availability was significantly greater in Albertan schools' vending machines. Availability of sweetened coffees/teas in school vending machines and access to restaurants within the school's 1 km buffer were associated with increased SSB intake in three of the final models. Overall, the school food environment-level characteristics examined had a modest to negligible impact on student days of SSB intake.

Conclusions

We identified that the school food environment characteristics examined here had little impact on adolescents' days of SSB consumption. While schools should adopt or maintain a comprehensive policy approach to discourage students' SSB intake, population-level interventions focusing on other contexts (e.g. home and community) are needed to complement existing school-based interventions.

SUBMITTER: Godin KM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10260457 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study.

Godin Katelyn M KM Chaurasia Ashok A Hammond David D Leatherdale Scott T ST

Public health nutrition 20180521 11

<h4>Objective</h4>To examine associations between Canadian adolescents' sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and several school food environment characteristics, and to investigate differences in these characteristics between schools in provinces with voluntary (Alberta) v. mandatory (Ontario) provincial school nutrition policies.<h4>Design</h4>We used a questionnaire to assess the number of weekdays participants consumed three SSB categories (soft drinks, sweetened coffees/teas, energy dr ...[more]

PMID: 29779507

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Project description:BackgroundSchool nutrition policies can encourage restrictions in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) availability in school food outlets in order to discourage students' SSB intake. The main objective was to examine how beverage availability in school vending machines changes over three school years across schools in distinct school nutrition policy contexts. Secondary objectives were to examine how students' weekday SSB intake varies with time and identify longitudinal associations between beverage availability and SSB intake.MethodsThis longitudinal study used data from the COMPASS study (2013/14-2015/16), representing 7679 students from 78 Canadian secondary schools and three provincial school nutrition policy contexts (Alberta - voluntary guidelines, Ontario public - mandatory guidelines, and Ontario private schools - no guidelines). We assessed availability of 10 beverage categories in schools' vending machines via the COMPASS School Environment Application and participants' intake of three SSB varieties (soft drinks, sweetened coffees/teas, and energy drinks) via a questionnaire. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine whether: i) progression of time and policy group were associated with beverage availability; and, ii) beverage availability was associated with students' SSB intake.ResultsOntario public schools were significantly less likely than the other policy groups to serve SSBs in their vending machines, with the exception of flavoured milks. Vending machine beverage availability was consistent over time. Participants' overall SSB intake remained relatively stable; reductions in soft drink intake were partially offset by increased sweetened coffee/tea consumption. Relative to Ontario public schools, attending school in Alberta was associated with more frequent energy drink intake and overall SSB intake whereas attending an Ontario private school was associated with less frequent soft drink intake, with no differences in overall SSB intake. Few beverage availability variables were significantly associated with participants' SSB intake.ConclusionsMandatory provincial school nutrition policies were predictive of more limited SSB availability in school vending machines. SSB intake was significantly lower in Ontario public and private schools, although we did not detect a direct association between SSB consumption and availability. The findings provide support for mandatory school nutrition policies, as well as the need for comprehensive school- and broader population-level efforts to reduce SSB intake.

Project description:ImportanceSweetened beverage taxes are one policy approach to reduce intake of added sugars. Soda is the leading source of added sugars in the US diet, but few studies have examined how such taxes influence sweetened beverage intake in youth.ObjectiveTo estimate the association between the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beverage tax and adolescent soda intake.Design, setting, and participantsThis economic evaluation of school district-level Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data from September 2013 to December 2019 compared weekly soda intake in high school students in Philadelphia, a city with a sweetened beverage tax, with that in 7 comparison cities without beverage taxes. Difference-in-differences regression modeling was used to estimate change in soda intake in Philadelphia compared with control cities. Secondary analyses compared 100% juice and milk intake to explore potential substitution associations. Subgroup analyses evaluated differences by race and ethnicity and weight status (obesity and overweight or obesity). Analyses were performed between August 20 and October 20, 2020. School districts that had weighted data and a survey question on weekly soda intake from 2013 to 2019 were included. The study included high school students, grades 9 to 12, in school districts participating in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from 2013 to 2019.ExposuresImplementation of a sweetened beverage tax in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January 2017.Main outcomes and measuresReported weekly servings of soda, 100% juice, and milk.ResultsA total of 86 928 participants (weighted mean [SD] age, 15.8 [1.3] years; 49% female) from 8 US cities (including Philadelphia) were included. Before the tax, adolescents in the 7 comparison cities had a mean intake of 4 servings of soda per week compared with 5.4 servings per week in Philadelphia. Philadelphia's tax was associated with a reduction of 0.81 servings of soda per week (95% CI, -1.48 to -0.14 servings; P = .02) 2 years after tax implementation. There was no significant difference in 100% juice or milk intake, although Philadelphia adolescents consumed more juice than those in nontaxed cities. In subgroup analyses, the tax was associated with a reduction of 1.13 servings per week in Hispanic/Latinx adolescents (95% CI, -2.04 to -0.23 servings; P = .01) and 1.2 servings per week in adolescents with obesity (95% CI, -2.33 to -0.13 servings; P = .03).Conclusions and relevanceThis economic evaluation found that a sweetened beverage tax was associated with a reduction in soda intake among adolescents, providing evidence that such taxes can improve dietary behaviors.

Project description:ObjectiveTo verify the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among adolescents in order to develop or improve public health interventions.DesignSystematic review of interventions targeting adolescents and/or the school environment.SettingThe following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE. Proquest Dissertations and Theses was also investigated for unpublished trials.SubjectsAdolescents were defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 years.ResultsA total of thirty-six studies detailing thirty-six different interventions tested among independent samples (n 152 001) were included in the review. Twenty interventions were classified as educational/behavioural and ten were classified as legislative/environmental interventions. Only six interventions targeted both individuals and their environment. Over 70 % of all interventions, regardless of whether they targeted individuals, their environment or both, were effective in decreasing SSB consumption. Legislative/environmental studies had the highest success rate (90·0 %). Educational/behavioural interventions only and interventions that combined educational/behavioural and legislative/environmental approaches were almost equally effective in reducing SSB consumption with success rates of 65·0 and 66·7 %, respectively. Among the interventions that had an educational/behavioural component, 61·5 % were theory-based. The behaviour change techniques most frequently used in interventions were providing information about the health consequences of performing the behaviour (72·2 %), restructuring the physical environment (47·2 %), behavioural goal setting (36·1 %), self-monitoring of behaviour (33·3 %), threat to health (30·6 %) and providing general social support (30·6 %).ConclusionsSchool-based interventions show promising results to reduce SSB consumption among adolescents. A number of recommendations are made to improve future studies.

Dataset Information

Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study.

Objective

Design

Setting

Subjects

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study.

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