News
MTF researchers find availability of soft drinks at high schools increases consumption among black students
May 16, 2013
Analyzing data from more than 9,000 students in 329 secondary schools, researchers from the Monitoring the Future study find that African American high students tend to drink more soda when it’s available at their schools, although availability does not affect consumption for non-black students. Access to sodas and other sweet beverages in schools — which has been linked to childhood obesity — varies widely across the country. Yvonne Terry-McElrath, Patrick O’Malley, and Lloyd Johnston view these findings as supporting the benefits derived from removing soft drinks from schools. The study is reported in the [*American Journal of Preventive Medicine.*](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379713001578)