Are Nutrition Standards for Beverages in Schools Associated with Healthier Beverage Intakes among Adolescents in the US?

"Competitive" food and beverage policies and weight status: A systematic review of the evidence among sociodemographic subgroups

Prior studies identified variable associations between competitive food and beverage policies (CF&B) and youth obesity, potentially due to differences across population subgroups. This review summarizes the evidence on associations between CF&B policies and childhood obesity within gender, grade level/ age, race/ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic levels. PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and ERIC database searches identified studies published in English in Canada and the United States between January 1, 2000, and February 28, 2022. Of the 18 selected studies, six were cross-sectional, two correlational, nine were before/after designs, and one study utilized both a cross-sectional and pre-post design. Twelve studies reported findings stratified by a single sociodemographic factor, with grade level/age as the most frequently reported. Although the evidence varied, greater consistency in direction of associations and strengths of evidence were seen among middle school students. Six studies reported findings jointly by multiple sociodemographic subgroups with evidence suggesting CF&B associations with slower rate of increase or plateaus or declines in obesity among multiple subgroups, though the strengths of evidence varied. Over the past two decades, there have been relatively limited subgroup analyses on studies about CF&B policies and childhood obesity. Studies are needed with stronger designs and analyses disaggregated, particularly by race/ethnicities and socioeconomic factors, across places and time.

Effectiveness of a School Drinking Water Promotion and Access Program for Overweight Prevention

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Drinking water promotion and access shows promise for preventing weight gain. This study evaluated the impact of Water First, a school-based water promotion and access intervention on changes in overweight.

METHODS

Low-income, ethnically diverse elementary schools in California's Bay Area were cluster-randomized to intervention and control groups. Water First includes classroom lessons, water stations, and schoolwide water promotion over 1 school year. The primary outcome was overweight prevalence (BMI-for-age-and-sex ≥85th percentile). Students (n = 1249) in 56 fourth-grade classes in 18 schools (9 intervention, 9 control) from 2016 to 2019 participated in evaluation at baseline, 7, and 15 months. Data collection was interrupted in 8 additional recruited schools because of coronavirus disease 2019.

RESULTS

Of 1262 students from 18 schools, 1249 (47.4% girls; mean [SD] age, 9.6 [0.4] years; 63.4% Hispanic) were recruited. From baseline to 7 months, there was no significant difference in changes in overweight prevalence in intervention schools (-0.2%) compared to control schools (-0.4%) (adjusted ratio of odds ratios [ORs]: 0.7 [confidence interval (CI): 0.2-2.9] P = 0.68). From baseline to 15-months, increases in overweight prevalence were significantly greater in control schools (3.7%) compared to intervention schools (0.5%). At 15 months, intervention students had a significantly lower change in overweight prevalence (adjusted ratio of ORs: 0.1 [CI: 0.03-0.7] P = .017) compared to control students. There were no intervention effects for obesity prevalence.

CONCLUSIONS

Water First prevented increases in the prevalence of overweight, but not obesity, in elementary school students.