Sociodemographic, lifestyle, behavioral, and parental factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in children in China

Abstract

Objective Evidence shows sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in children. Investigating the influential profiles, which have been examined insufficiently, will help to inform the reduction of SSB consumption. The present research examines the current trend in SSB consumption and associated factors among children in China, in order to inform policy development. Methods Secondary data was extracted from China’s Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS; 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011), a repeated cross-sectional research, and a Chi-squared test was applied to compare SSB consumption in the last year, queried by social demographical, `environmental, behavioral, and parental factors. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was employed to examine the trend and effects of the multiple factors. Results A total of 6015 Chinese children aged 6–17 years were investigated. From 2004 to 2011, the percentage of SSB consumption in children increased from 72.6% to 90.3%. The prevalence in urban areas was higher than the prevalence in rural areas, higher in high schools than primary and middle schools, higher in east coast affluent provinces than other provinces, and higher in high-income households than low-income households. Other associated factors include children’s fast food and salty snacks preference, level of physical activity, sedentariness, and parental education. The strongest association with SSB consumption in children was the mother’s SSB consumption (adjusted odds ratio: 5.54, 95% CI: 3.17–9.67). Conclusion Children’s SSB consumption has increased significantly in China, and is associated with socio-economic, demographic, level of physical activity, food preference, and parental factors. Future strategies aimed at reducing SSB consumption among children need to consider these factors.

Impact of Obesogenic Environments on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption among Preschoolers: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Beijing

“…The present study showed that caregivers' rates of SSB consumption [24,40] and taking children to fast-food restaurants [41][42][43] frequently were positively associated with SSB consumption among their children, consistent with previous studies at home and abroad. Our study also identified that as low as one-third of caregivers read the NFPs frequently, which was negatively associated with SSB consumption among their children.…”

“…Data on the child’s birth date, gender, family income, and whether the child was the only child in the family were also collected using questionaries. Family income based on the “annual household income per capita” item of this study and ranging from “50 thousand RMB/year or below” to “more than 150 thousand RMB/year” was used as a proxy for socio-economic status [ 17 , 22 , 24 ].…”

“…Given the extensive evidence of SSBs contributing to severe health consequences [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], few studies have investigated the correlates of SSB intake among children in China with different food environments. The limited current evidence in China is mainly focused on school-aged children and the factors at the individual level [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. To fill in the gaps in the scarce evidence for preschoolers, this study investigated the SSB consumption among preschoolers in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, China, and explored multifaceted obesogenic environment determinants of children’s SSB consumption.…”

Association of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with psychological symptoms among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The SSB consumptions per person are still increasing ( Popkin and Hawkes, 2016 ). In China, the percentage of SSB consumption in children increased from 72.6 to 90.3% in 2004–2011 ( Guo et al, 2021 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, changes in dietary behavior factors include increased total food consumption, decreased adherence to healthy diets, and increased snack and SSB intake ( Chew and Lopez, 2021 ).…”

Prospective association of family members’ sugar-sweetened beverages intake with children’s sugar-sweetened beverages consumption in China

“…Family factors have been proved to be one of the main influencing factors affecting children's SSB consumption, and associations between family members' SSB consumption and children's diet with high SSB intake have been found in cross-sectional studies [1,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. While the correlation is strong, it is not possible to unequivocally determine the direction of causality.…”