Impact of a School-Based Intervention on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Substitution by Water in Mexican Scholars

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has increased in recent years, associated with substituting plain water intake with sugar-sweetened beverages. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a school-based intervention that aimed to replace sugar-sweetened beverages with water on Mexican scholars. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We included 314 children aged 9–11 from three public schools of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, randomized to intervention (two schools from the municipality of Apan; six classes with 146 participants) or control group (one school from the municipality of Emiliano Zapata; six classes with 168 participants) and followed for 6 months. The intervention consisted of placing drinking fountains at schools and classrooms with nutritional education lessons to increase water consumption and decrease sugar-sweetened beverages. Mixed models for repeated measures were used to assess the impact of the intervention. <b><i>Results:</i></b> At the end of the study, water consumption was higher (200 mL/day, <i>p</i> = 0.005), and flavored milk consumption was lower (94 mL/day, <i>p</i> = 0.044) in the intervention group compared with the control group. There was also a statistically significant reduction in energy (<i>p</i> = 0.016) and sugar intake (<i>p</i> = 0.007). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The school-based intervention favorably modified the consumption pattern of sugar-sweetened beverages and water in Mexican students.