Sociodemographic and Behavioral Factors Associated with Added Sugars Intake among US Adults

Abstract

Background Reducing added sugars intake is one of the Healthy People 2020 objectives. High added sugars intake may be associated with adverse health consequences. Objective This cross-sectional study identified sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics associated with added sugars intake among US adults (18 years and older) using the 2010 National Health Interview Survey data (n=24,967). Methods The outcome variable was added sugars intake from foods and beverages using scoring algorithms to convert dietary screener frequency responses on nine items to estimates of individual dietary intake of added sugars in teaspoons per day. Added sugars intake was categorized into tertiles (lowest, middle, highest) stratified by sex. The explanatory variables were sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios for the highest and middle tertile added sugars intake groups as compared with the lowest tertile group. Results Estimated median added sugars intake was 17.6 tsp/d for men and 11.7 tsp/d for women. For men and women, those who had significantly greater odds for being in the highest tertile of added sugars intake (men: ≥22.0 tsp/d; women: ≥14.6 tsp/d) were younger, less educated, had lower income, were less physically active, were current smokers, and were former or current infrequent/light drinkers, whereas non-Hispanic other/multiracial and those living in the West had significantly lower odds for being in the highest tertile of added sugars intake. Different patterns were found by sex. Non-Hispanic black men had lower odds for being in the highest tertile of added sugars intake, whereas non-Hispanic black women had greater odds for being in the highest tertile. Conclusions One in three men consumed ≥22.0 tsp added sugars and one in three women consumed ≥14.6 tsp added sugars daily. Higher added sugars intake was associated with various sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics; this information can inform efforts to design programs and policies specific to high-intake populations.

Total and Added Sugar Intake: Assessment in Eight Latin American Countries

“…Further, in present study when it is observed the total of the countries the difference in SEL were observed only for total sugar intake, being the higher intake observed among those with the highest socioeconomic strata. This finding was the opposite seen in US adults studied by Park et al [ 23 ]. This can reflect different tax incentives to decrease added sugar consumption, which permits the acquisition of items that have more sugar by individuals of distinct SEL.…”

“…In present study, as demonstrated elsewhere [ 7 , 9 , 23 , 24 ], in absolute terms men showed higher sugar intakes than women; however, in relative terms this observation was the opposite, which reflects the greater energy intake by men inherent in their constitution that demands greater energy needs. In contrast, higher relative values in women demonstrate that they are consuming a more nutritionally unbalanced diet, at least as far as sugar intake is concerned, and it is still shown in studies investigating sugar-intake trends that the decline in sugar intake is lower in women compared to men [ 7 , 9 ].…”

“…With respect to the influence of age, following the trend observed in other studies [ 8 , 23 , 24 , 43 ], younger individuals were seen to be more vulnerable to higher total and added sugars intake, whose consumption decreased over their lifespan. This can be explained by their immaturity in the choice of their foods, and largely by influence of advertisements.…”

“…Despite the difficulty of evaluating added sugar, and particularly free sugar, the reporting of sugar intake can guide adoption of public policies, and it is suggested that this information must be monitored more rigorously, especially in countries whose data from sugar intake are scarce, which includes most Latin American countries, a region of the south American continent characterized by a conglomerate of developing countries that experience a dual scenario referred to as nutritional transition. In addition, it is important to identify factors such as gender, socioeconomic level, and age that may influence dietary habits and contribute to a higher sugar intake [ 8 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. This will facilitate the planning of action strategies targeting the most vulnerable groups.…”

Soda intake and tobacco use among young adult bar patrons: A cross-sectional study in seven cities

“…Young adults are also among the greatest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) ( Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2015 ), which account for almost half of all added sugars consumed by the U.S. population ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2016 ). High SSB intake in young adults is strongly associated with race, education, and economic factors ( Han and Powell, 2013 ; Park et al, 2016a , Park et al, 2016b ), has been shown to vary by geographic location ( Park et al, 2016a , Park et al, 2016b ), and to be associated with other high-risk behaviors such as low physical activity ( Kristal et al, 2015 ; Park et al, 2016a , Park et al, 2016b ), smoking ( Kristal et al, 2015 ; Park et al, 2016a , Park et al, 2016b ), and alcohol intake ( Park et al, 2016a , Park et al, 2016b ). Soda is the most heavily consumed SSB by young adults ( Han and Powell, 2013 ).…”