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Promoting Healthy Beverage Consumption Habits Among Elementary School Children: Evaluating The Healthy Kids Community Challenge 'Water Does Wonders' Interventions In London, Ontario, Bridget R. Irwin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern and has been attributed to poor diet, among other factors. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, in particular, has been linked to excess weight gain in childhood, while water consumption is a protective factor. Taking advantage of the Water Does Wonders theme of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, an initiative by the provincial government to promote water consumption, this thesis uses pre-post surveys of children aged 8-14 years to examine (a) the association between knowledge and beverage consumption habits, and (b) the effectiveness of a school- based education and environment intervention to reduce SSB …