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. 2010 Aug;100(8):1427-33.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.175687. Epub 2010 Jun 17.

Point-of-purchase price and education intervention to reduce consumption of sugary soft drinks

Jason P Block  1 , Amitabh Chandra, Katherine D McManus, Walter C Willett
Affiliations

Point-of-purchase price and education intervention to reduce consumption of sugary soft drinks

Jason P Block et al. Am J Public Health. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated whether a price increase on regular (sugary) soft drinks and an educational intervention would reduce their sales.

Methods: We implemented a 5-phase intervention at the Brigham and Women's Hospital cafeteria in Boston, Massachusetts. After posting existing prices of regular and diet soft drinks and water during baseline, we imposed several interventions in series: a price increase of 35% on regular soft drinks, a reversion to baseline prices (washout), an educational campaign, and a combination price and educational period. We collected data from a comparison site, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, also in Boston, for the final 3 phases.

Results: Sales of regular soft drinks declined by 26% during the price increase phase. This reduction in sales persisted throughout the study period, with an additional decline of 18% during the combination phase compared with the washout period. Education had no independent effect on sales. Analysis of the comparison site showed no change in regular soft drink sales during the study period.

Conclusions: A price increase may be an effective policy mechanism to decrease sales of regular soda. Further multisite studies in varied populations are warranted to confirm these results.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Four-phase timeline of soft drink point-of-purchase and education intervention: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, March 2008–July 2008.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Adjusted percentage change in beverage sales at the intervention site, by intervention phase for (a) regular soda, diet soda, and water and (b) sugary water, juice, coffee, and fountain drinks: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, March 2008–July 2008. Notes. *P < .05; **P < .01; ***P < .001
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Adjusted percentage change in beverage sales at the comparison site, by intervention phase for (a) regular soda, diet soda, and water and (b) sugary water, juice, coffee, and fountain drinks: Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA, March 2008–July 2008. Notes. *P < .05; **P < .01; ***P < .001
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