Exploring the feasibility of school based interventions to reduce sugar sweetened beverage consumption in India (360G-Wellcome-107434_Z_15_Z)

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is established as a major risk factor for overweight and obesity, as well asan array of cardio-metabolic conditions, especially type 2 diabetes and dental caries. SSB consumption is particularlypopular in school going children. In the past few decades, sources of energy intake among youth have shifted towardgreater consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), such as soda, sports drinks, and high calorie fruit drinks. Thisshift has important public health implications given that SSB consumption has been associated with youth obesity andweight gain, which have several physical and psychosocial consequences. This becomes a very serious problem especiallyfor Low and middle Income Countries (LMICs) which are demographically very young. In certain countries including Indianational taxation policies have been introduced to promote healthy diet such as a tax on sugary soft drinks but thesepolicies have focussed primarily on soda while not taxing other SSBs. As an alternative to a national tax policy, there is the option of implementing pricing policy at a more local level through a settings approach. Some schools have also takenvoluntary action restricting the sales of soda but have left out other SSBs and have shown a mixed bag of results providing no clear evidence on the best set of interventions which can lead to reduction in SSB consumption among youth. The development, implementation and evaluation of a fiscal and policy intervention to reduce SSB consumption amongst school going children is a complex and challenging task. Before a full scale randomised controlled trial can be undertaken detailed preliminary research is needed. This study therefore proposes to undertake a two-phased investigation to inform and test the acceptability and feasibility of a SSB fiscal and policy intervention delivered in the setting of recognised non-aided public schools of New Delhi.