Evaluation of Added Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption by University Students

Abstract

Today, increased intake of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages is seen today as an important factor in the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as obesity, obesity-related diabetes, and coronary heart diseases. This study involved 214 university students from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of Ankara University, Faculty of Health Science, which was intended to evaluate the consumption of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages. The frequency of student consumption of beverages and the quantities and amounts of sugar taken with beverages were questioned. The average total amount of sugar added to drinks by the students was 4.69 ± 6.35 gram, while the average total amount of sugar taken with sugar-sweetened beverages was 11.34 ± 15.32 gram. Female students relative to male students, students in grade 4 compared to grades 2 and 3, and students who had daily breakfast compared to those who did not had lower average sugar consumption (p-value < 0.05). As class grades increase, the amount of sugar added to beverages and fruit juice and sweetened soft drinks and carbonated beverages decreased (p-value < 0.05). The consumption of herbal teas and dietary beverages increased and eating habits of students generally changed positively (p-value > 0.05). It is important to educate university students about the reduction in sugar intake and sugar-containing food in order to avoid many chronic diseases that may be seen in older ages.

Health Star Rating of Nonalcoholic, Packaged, and Ready-to-Drink Beverages in Türkiye: A Decision Tree Model Study

“…In the present study, all sugar-sweetened fruit nectars, fruit beverages, and cold coffee were “unhealthy.” Reducing the consumption of these beverages and raising consumer awareness are essential to prevent the development of NCDs and obesity. In a previous study conducted in Türkiye, university students were found to consume an average of 11.34 g/d of sugar through only SSBs ( Meric et al, 2021 ). Although there is usually information about the amount of sugar on the front label of SSBs, there should be remarkable icons, including star rating, and consumers should be informed.…”

Consumption of olive oil and adherence to the Mediterranean Food Pattern among academics of lusophone origin

“…A semelhança nos resultados pode dever-se ao fato dos participantes de ambos os estudos terem um alto nível de escolaridade, o que contribui para uma maior literacia alimentar e escolhas alimentares mais saudáveis. É importante reeducar os estudantes universitários sobre a redução da ingestão de açúcar e alimentos que contenham açúcar, a fim de prevenir o desenvolvimento de doenças crónicas, através de ações de promoção para uma vida mais saudável (Meric et al, 2021).…”

“…Participants in both studies had a high level of education, which contributes to greater food literacy and healthier food choices. However, many participants did not meet this criterion reinforcing the importance to re-educate college students about reducing the intake of sugar and sugary foods, to prevent the development of chronic diseases, through actions to promote healthier living (Meric et al, 2021).…”

Estudio de la memoria conductual de sustancias adictivas mediante análisis de series temporales agrupadas

“…Sin embargo, a los ojos de esta investigación, esta cantidad parece muy pequeña. De hecho, estudios como el que realizaron Meric et al (2021) mostraron que el consumo medio de edulcorante (en gramos de azúcar) de una muestra de 214 personas fue de 16,25 gramos al día. Si se comparan los resultados de dicho estudio con los de esta tesis, esto representaría un 181% más de lo que afirman nuestros participantes que consumen en un periodo de veinticuatro horas.…”