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

Abstract

Young adults are among the greatest consumers of sugar sweetened beverages, and they also have high smoking rates. However, few studies address the relationship between these risk behaviors; this study examined the relationship between soda consumption and smoking among young adult bar patrons, a high-risk understudied population. A cross-sectional survey of young adult bar patrons (between January 2014 and October 2015) was conducted using randomized time location sampling (N = 8712) in Albuquerque, NM, Los Angeles, CA Nashville, TN, Oklahoma City, OK, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Tucson, AZ. The survey found the prevalences of daily regular soda intake ranged from 32% in San Diego to 51% in Oklahoma City and current smoking ranged from 36% in Los Angeles, CA to 49% in Albuquerque, NM. In multinomial multivariate models with no soda consumption as the reference group and controlling for demographics and location, non-daily (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.47) and daily smokers (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.66) were both more likely to drink regular soda compared to not drinking any soda. No effects were found for diet soda consumption. These linked risks suggest that comprehensive health promotion efforts to decrease sugar sweetened beverage consumption and tobacco use, among other risky behaviors, may be effective in this population.

Coffee and cigarettes: Examining the association between caffeinated beverage consumption and smoking behaviour among youth in the COMPASS study

“…In all models, the more frequently SSBs were consumed, the association with smoking behaviour strengthened, which aligns with current literature in adults. Kearns and colleagues ( Kearns et al, 2018 ) demonstrated a significant increase in nicotine consumption with increased SSB consumption in a young adult population (mean age: ∼24 years), and in a large American cohort (n = 12,214), SSB consumption predicted smoking behaviour in adults (Age: >18 years) ( Kristal et al, 2015 ). Further, high energy drinks, a sub-class of SSB, are a large source of caffeine in youth ( Branum et al, 2014 ).…”

“…High energy drinks have predicted e-cigarette use and smoking in Finnish adolescents as well ( Kinnunen et al, 2018 ). This may be related to altered taste perceptions in smokers, causing overconsumption of sweeteners ( Kearns et al, 2018 , Pepino and Mennella, 2007 , Sato et al, 2002 ).…”

“…However, not all SSBs contain caffeine, and many of the standard measures used to capture SSB consumption do not differentiate beverages on caffeine content ( Riordan et al, 2017 ). Regardless of caffeine content, SSBs have demonstrated the same positive association between consumption and smoking as coffee in adults ( Kearns et al, 2018 , Kristal et al, 2015 ). As youth demonstrate different caffeinated beverage consumption patterns as compared to adults, identifying which caffeinated beverage source has the strongest association with smoking behaviour may help to inform health policy for this population.…”

“…A dose–response relationship has also been demonstrated between coffee consumption and smoking ( Klesges et al, 1994 ). Additionally, caffeinated energy drinks have been related to substance use, including smoking in both middle school (Age: 11–13) ( Mann et al, 2016 ) and high school students (Age 14–18) ( Kearns et al, 2018 ). A longitudinal study of Finnish adolescents (age: 12–13 at time one and 15–16 at time two) found that high energy drink consumption predicted e-cigarette use and smoking ( Kinnunen et al, 2018 ).…”

The Energy to Smoke: Examining the Longitudinal Association between Beverage Consumption and Smoking and Vaping Behaviours among Youth in the COMPASS Study

“…Other cross-sectional work has shown a link between SSB and smoking behaviours in adults. In a large American cohort (n = 12,214), nicotine consumption was associated with increased SSB consumption in a young adult population (mean age: ~24 years) [ 46 ]. This was also seen in a general adult population as SSB consumption predicted smoking behaviour [ 47 ].…”