Trends in soft drink and sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption among South Australians, focusing on distribution of intake by subpopulation

Abstract

Objective: This study focused on describing local trends in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, including variations between subgroups, to inform equitable health policy to curb soft drink consumption. Methods: Weighted data were obtained from the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System, a state-based population health survey that monitors trends in health risk factors and chronic disease via computer-assisted telephone interviewing. From 2008 onwards, participants provided an estimate of the average amount of soft drink they consumed per day. Results: From 2008-2017, there were significant decreases in the proportion of adults who consumed any SSBs, but the mean consumption per consumer increased. High-risk dietary and lifestyle behaviours are the strongest predictors for consumption of soft drink, but there is also a significant association with socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Population trends mask increasing inequity. There is a societal trend away from the consumption of SSBs across all subgroups, but at-risk groups who engage in clusters of unhealthy behaviours remain high consumers. Implications for public health: The identification of at-risk populations allows research to focus more precisely on the structural barriers, beliefs, attitudes and facilitators of ongoing consumption of SSB in order to inform future health promotion efforts.

Sugar- and Artificially Sweetened Beverages Consumption Linked to Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

“…Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs, also categorized as sugary drinks or soft drinks) refer to the beverages with added sugar or sweeteners that have been prevalent worldwide, especially among younger adults, with their intake frequency and portion size increasing markedly in most countries over the last several decades [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. During 2011–2014, about one-half of US adults consumed at least one SSB per day, which contributed 6.9% of total energy intake for men and 6.1% for women [ 7 ] and over 46% of added sugar in the US diet [ 8 ].…”

Community support for policy interventions targeting unhealthy food environments in public institutions

“…It seems that values of autonomy are most relevant for individuals engaging in the undesirable and targeted behaviour themselves. For example lower SSB consumers and sociodemographic groups typically known to be lower SSB consumers (older adults and tertiary educated) 32 were more likely to support removing SSBs. Others have reported a tendency for individuals to support interventions less personally impactful, or targeting the unhealthy behaviour of others, deemed as more 'deserving' of intervention than themselves 5,19,22 and we found only one-fifth of respondents rationalised intervention support due to perceived influence on their own behaviour.…”

Association between maternal sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and the social-emotional development of child before 1 year old: A prospective cohort study

“…Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) refer to beverages with added artificial sugar or beverages with more than 5% of added sugar content (1), according to the Food Guide Pagoda for Chinese Residents (2022). SSBs have become an international public health issue since their intake frequency and portion size have increased (2,3). In China, SSBs were ranked in the top three contributors of total fluid intake (TFI).…”