Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) Amongst Adolescents in Malaysian Secondary Schools: A cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: This study aims to examine the level of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of adolescents towards sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) together with the associated factors that determines their KAP. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires that consisted of sociodemographic, the KAP for the SSB questionnaire, and the BEVQ questionnaire. The respondents’ height, weight, waist circumference and body fat percentage were measured. This study involved 439 adolescents (with a 97.6% response rate), aged between 13 to 17 years old, in public secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. Results: The results reveal that 35% of the adolescents were overweight, 26% had a high waist circumference, and 45% had a high body fat percentage. Caffeinated drinks and full cream milk were the most frequently consumed SSBs. The KAP score revealed a high attitude (88.4%), a moderate knowledge (51.8%) and a low practice (40.5%). Those with a higher body fat percentage showed significantly higher attitude scores (p<0.05). Low household income groups (adjusted OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.26-0.99), females (adjusted OR=0.41, 95% CI=0.27-0.62), adolescents aged 16-17 years old (adjusted OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.22-0.85), and urban areas (adjusted OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.16-2.72) demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) positive determinant towards the KAP score. Conclusion: This study revealed that high awareness of negative health outcomes associated with SSBs among adolescents was not in accord with the level of their lifestyle choices. Future interventions must consider this critical situation so that any knowledge being transferred to the adolescents can be translated into their own practices.