Water Wins, Communication Matters: School-Based Intervention to Reduce Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Increase Intake of Water

Abstract

We compared three interventions designed for reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) aimed at decreasing the risk of overweight and obesity among children. We included three experimental (n = 508) and one control school (n = 164) in Slovenia (672 children; 10–16 years) to evaluate interventions that influence behaviour change via environmental (E), communication (C), or combined (i.e., double) environmental and communication approaches (EC) compared to no intervention (NOI). Data of children from the ‘intervention’ and ‘non-intervention’ schools were compared before and after the interventions. The quantity of water consumed (average, mL/day) by children increased in the C and EC schools, while it decreased in the E and NOI schools. Children in the C and EC schools consumed less beverages with sugar (SSBs + fruit juices), and sweet beverages (beverages with: sugar, low-calorie and/or noncaloric sweeteners) but consumed more juices. The awareness about the health risks of SSB consumption improved among children of the ‘combined intervention’ EC school and was significantly different from the awareness among children of other schools (p = 0.03). A communication intervention in the school environment has more potential to reduce the intake of SSBs than a sole environmental intervention, but optimum results can be obtained when combined with environmental changes.