To examine the pattern and correlates of public support for twelve public health interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption.

Cross-sectional population-based survey. Respondents were recruited using a random digit dialling procedure (landline telephone) and a random selection of telephone numbers (mobile telephone). Sampling quotas were applied for age, and the sample was stratified according to administrative regions.

The province of Québec, Canada.

One thousand adults aged between 18 and 64 years and able to answer the survey questionnaire in French or English.

Support was observed for a number of public health interventions, but the more intrusive approaches were less supported. Support for taxation as well as for sale and access restriction was positively associated with the perceived relevance of the government intervention, perceived effectiveness, and perceived associations between SSB consumption and chronic diseases. Believing that SSB consumption is a personal choice and daily consumption were generally negatively associated with strong support and positively associated with strong opposition. Sparse associations between sociodemographic and socio-economic characteristics were observed, with the exception of sex and age: women were generally more likely to support the examined public health strategies, while younger respondents were less likely to express support.

Increasing perceived effectiveness and government responsibility for addressing the issue of SSB consumption could lead to increased support for SSB interventions. Increasing the belief that SSB consumption could be associated with chronic diseases would increase support, but SSB consumers and younger individuals are expected to be resistant.

To verify the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among adolescents in order to develop or improve public health interventions.

Systematic review of interventions targeting adolescents and/or the school environment.

The following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE. Proquest Dissertations and Theses was also investigated for unpublished trials.

Adolescents were defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

A total of thirty-six studies detailing thirty-six different interventions tested among independent samples (n 152 001) were included in the review. Twenty interventions were classified as educational/behavioural and ten were classified as legislative/environmental interventions. Only six interventions targeted both individuals and their environment. Over 70 % of all interventions, regardless of whether they targeted individuals, their environment or both, were effective in decreasing SSB consumption. Legislative/environmental studies had the highest success rate (90·0 %). Educational/behavioural interventions only and interventions that combined educational/behavioural and legislative/environmental approaches were almost equally effective in reducing SSB consumption with success rates of 65·0 and 66·7 %, respectively. Among the interventions that had an educational/behavioural component, 61·5 % were theory-based. The behaviour change techniques most frequently used in interventions were providing information about the health consequences of performing the behaviour (72·2 %), restructuring the physical environment (47·2 %), behavioural goal setting (36·1 %), self-monitoring of behaviour (33·3 %), threat to health (30·6 %) and providing general social support (30·6 %).

School-based interventions show promising results to reduce SSB consumption among adolescents. A number of recommendations are made to improve future studies.