Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39910218›Full record

SynthesisEvidence-based dentistry2025

Effectiveness of school-based approaches for reduction of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sneha Malhotra, Deepali Aggarwal, Bharathi M Purohit, Rahul Morankar, Amrita Chawla, Ritu Duggal, Nilima Nilima, Upendra Singh Bhadauria, Manali Deb Barma, Harsh Priya

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Evidence-based dentistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sneha MalhotraNational Oral Health Program, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Deepali AggarwalDivision of Public Health Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Bharathi M PurohitDivision of Public Health Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4273-1699
Rahul MorankarDivision of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Amrita ChawlaDepartment of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Ritu DuggalDivision of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Deformities, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India.
Nilima NilimaDepartment of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Upendra Singh BhadauriaDivision of Public Health Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Manali Deb BarmaNational Oral Health Program, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Harsh PriyaDivision of Public Health Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. drharshpriya@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6410-2888

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo verify the effectiveness of school-based interventions (SBI) aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among children to create or enhance public health initiatives.

backgroundAn important source of sugar consumption is SSBs, which are defined as any consumable non-alcoholic water-based beverage containing considerable amounts of free sugars. A growing number of people are using SSBs as their main source of sugar. Obesity and overweight in children and adolescents is a serious public health concern. The frequent consumption of excess amounts of SSBs is a risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dental caries. The majority of earlier studies have concentrated on the association between SSB intake and obesity, regulatory and policy initiatives on SSB purchase and consumption. Numerous behavioural interventions have been reported to target the reduction of sugary drink consumption among children; however, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding their effectiveness. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SBI on the factors that influence the reduction of sugary beverage consumption in a school setting. MATERIAL AND

methodsSystematic review of school-based interventions involving children.

settingThe following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE.

resultsA total of forty-seven studies were included in the review. Most of the studies were found to be of moderate quality. All of the interventions, irrespective of whether they targeted individuals, their environment or both, were effective in decreasing SSB consumption.

conclusionsSchool-based interventions have demonstrated encouraging outcomes in decreasing sugary soft drink intake among teenagers. Several recommendations are made to improve future studies. The included trials demonstrated a moderate quality of evidence, suggesting that educational and behavioural interventions yielded only a modest effect in reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption.

Indexed as

Dietary SugarsSchool Health ServicesSugar-Sweetened BeveragesAdolescentChildHumansSchoolsDietary Sugars

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.