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Population health interventions to curb intake of sugars: Gaps in the evidence
Author(s) -
Kirkpatrick Sharon,
Maynard Merryn,
Raffoul Amanda,
Stapleton Jackie
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.640.26
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , cinahl , medicine , systematic review , population , environmental health , medline , population health , gerontology , nursing , political science , law
There is currently considerable attention focused on the role of sugars in health, including obesity and cardiovascular disease, and accordingly, the potential for population health interventions to curb sugars consumption. A rapid scoping review of systematic reviews related to interventions targeting sugar was conducted to identify gaps in the existing evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions. The databases Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched to identify systematic review articles related to interventions to reduce sugars intake, published in English over an eleven‐year period (January 2005 to December 2015). Sixteen systematic reviews meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. The interventions included price changes, initiatives to alter specific food environments, health promotion and education, and initiatives to limit exposure to advertising. A common thread among the reviews is the limited scope of available evidence combined with the heterogeneity of methods used in existing studies, including lack of consensus on definitions and measures used for sugars intake. There is a paucity of data on how interventions are implemented and the ways in which they interact with contextual factors, which hinders conclusions about how interventions introduced in one jurisdiction might function in another. Further, little is known about differential effects of interventions for population subgroups and potential compensatory behaviours on the part of both consumers and the food industry. Given current gaps in the evidence, implementation of interventions that show promise in terms of reducing intake of sugars should be accompanied by careful monitoring to assess intended and unintended consequences, including those related to equity. The application of a systems lens might be useful for considering the broad array of factors that impact the planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions to alter sugars consumption and associated outcomes, including body weight. Support or Funding Information This research was completed under contract with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes.