Online Program

285008
State bans on sugary drinks and high-fat milks are associated with lower availability in secondary schools nationwide


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Jamie F. Chriqui, PhD, MHS, Institute for Health Research and Policy and Division of Health Policy & Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Yvonne Terry-McElrath, MSA, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Lloyd Johnston, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Patrick O'Malley, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Background: Beverages high in sugars and fats are widely available in US secondary schools despite voluntary beverage industry guidelines to limit availability. This paper reports associations between state laws banning such beverages in schools and their availability in secondary schools.

Methods: State laws governing school beverage sales were compiled for school years 2008-09 through 2010-11. School beverage availability was compiled through annual, nationally representative surveys of secondary school administrators in the spring of each school year. Multivariate logistic regressions, clustered by state, analyzed associations between state laws and school-level beverage availability by location of sale controlling for student population race/ethnicity , region, free-/reduced-price lunch participation, school size, urbanicity, year, and state characteristics.

Results: When banned by state law, regular soda was significantly less available in vending machines in both middle (OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.21-0.87) and high schools (OR=0.37, 95% CI=0.23-0.58) and in school stores in high schools (OR=0.33, 95% CI=0.16-0.69). When banned, non-soda sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) were significantly less available in à la carte cafeteria lines in both middle (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.33-0.83) and high schools (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.30-0.87), middle school vending machines (OR=0.60, 95% CI=0.37-0.97), and high school stores (OR=0.53, 95% CI=0.31-.089). When banned, whole and 2% milks were significantly less available in middle school à la carte lines (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.29-0.80) and high school stores (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.13-0.82).

Conclusions: State laws are influencing secondary school SSB and high-fat milk availability. These findings hold promise for the likely impact of forthcoming USDA competitive food and beverage regulations on school beverage availability.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the variation in state competitive beverage laws in the US Discuss the variation in availability of sugary and high-fat beverages in secondary schools nationwide Explain the influence of state competitive beverage bans on secondary school availability of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-fat milks.

Keyword(s): Law, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 22 years' experience conducting public health policy research and evaluation and am Director of Policy Surveillance and Evaluation for the RWJF-supported Bridging the Gap program where I direct the largest ongoing nationwide evaluation of school district wellness policies and all related state laws (which are the focus of this presentation). I also served on the IOM Committee to Accelerate Progress in Obesity Prevention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.