The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on preschool children’s behaviour and cognition

Last registered on May 03, 2018

View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on preschool children’s behaviour and cognition

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0002782

Initial registration date

May 02, 2018

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

May 03, 2018, 12:04 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Belgium

Region

Flanders

Primary Investigator

Name

Fritz Schiltz

Affiliation

KU Leuven

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Kristof Witte

PI Affiliation

KU Leuven

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2017-03-07

End date

2018-03-31

Keywords

Education, Health

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

I18, I28, H51, H52

Secondary IDs

Abstract

It is a widely held belief that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) instigates a ‘sugar rush’ that improves the performance, followed by a ‘sugar crash’ which diminishes the performance. In an educational context, this relationship suggests an important role of diet and nutrition in influencing a student’s performance. To test this relationship, two randomized field experiments were set up, with 399 preschool children in 25 classes. The children were randomized within classes into treatment (SSB) and control (artificially sweetened beverage) groups. The cognition and behaviour was tested before and after the treatment in a double-blind manner.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Schiltz, Fritz and Kristof Witte. 2018. "The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on preschool children’s behaviour and cognition." AEA RCT Registry. May 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2782-1.0

Former Citation

Schiltz, Fritz and Kristof Witte. 2018. "The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on preschool children’s behaviour and cognition." AEA RCT Registry. May 03. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2782/history/29064

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The children assigned to the treatment group were given a sugar-sweetened beverage (equivalent to a can of soda). The control group received a placebo substance of the same volume that contained artificial sweeteners.

Intervention Start Date

2017-03-07

Intervention End Date

2017-11-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Cognitive test scores (mathematics)
Behavioral assessments

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design Details

The children were randomized within classes into treatment (SSB) and control (artificially sweetened beverage) groups. The cognition and behaviour was tested before and after the treatment in a double-blind manner. In order to accommodate the differential effects of drinking SSBs over time, it was administered at four time points and these were: after 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, or 120 minutes. Irrespective of the moment of testing assigned to the class, all children in a class were tested before the intervention (baseline). Between the first and second test, the teachers were instructed to continue their classes as before in order to evaluate a realistic intervention, where the preschool children drink sugar-sweetened beverages at school

Randomization Method

Random number generator

Randomization Unit

Individual level for treatment
Class level for timing of treatment

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

25 classes

Sample size: planned number of observations

399 students

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Treatment=197
Control=202

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Unit=cognitive test score (out of 23) Minimum detectable effect size= -0.14 SD=3.48 Percentage=1.2% Unit=behavioral assessment (out of 7) Minimum detectable effect size=0.14 SD=0.99 Percentage=5.2%

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB