Implementation of School-Based Traffic Light Labeling and Calorie Information Intervention to Reduce Sugary Drink Purchases Among Indonesian Adolescents

Sugar-sweetened beverages consumption remains high among adolescents and requires effective interventions. This study evaluated the impact of traffic light labeling (TLL) displayed in the school canteens on beverage purchases among high school students. A 2-stage study consisted of a qualitative approach exploring preferred TLL designs and a quantitative quasi-experiment involving intervention and control schools. The intervention school displayed energy, sugar, and fat TLL on beverage menus for 2 months, preceded by an educational session, while the control school displayed a balanced nutrition poster. Beverage purchases were recorded at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months using an online self-administered questionnaire. At baseline, nutritional status and pocket money did not differ significantly between groups. Mean BMI-for-age z -scores were 0.03 ± 0.01 in the intervention school and 0.13 ± 0.01 in the control school. Repeated-measures analyses showed significant reductions in energy, sugar, and fat beverage purchases in the intervention group (all P < .05). Traffic light labeling combined with education may promote healthier beverage purchasing.