Abstract
To examine demographic and behavioural correlates of high consumption of soft drinks (non-alcoholic sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks excluding energy drinks) among Australian adolescents and to explore the associations between high consumption and soft drink perceptions and accessibility. Cross-sectional self-completion survey and height and weight measurements. Australian secondary schools. Students aged 12-17 years participating in the 2012-13 National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey (n 7835). Overall, 14 % of students reported consuming four or more cups (≥1 litres) of soft drinks each week ('high soft drink consumers'). Demographic factors associated with high soft drink consumption were being male and having at least $AU 40 in weekly spending money. Behavioural factors associated with high soft drink consumption were low fruit intake, consuming energy drinks on a weekly basis, eating fast foods at least once weekly, eating snack foods ≥14 times/week, watching television for >2 h/d and sleeping for <8 h/school night. Students who perceived soft drinks to be usually available in their home, convenient to buy and good value for money were more likely to be high soft drink consumers, as were students who reported usually buying these drinks when making a beverage purchase from the school canteen/vending machine. High soft drink consumption clusters with other unhealthy lifestyle behaviours among Australian secondary-school students. Interventions focused on reducing the availability of soft drinks (e.g. increased taxes, restricting their sale in schools) as well as improved education on their harms are needed to lower adolescents' soft drink intake.
Highlights
About one-third of students (35 %) were classified as low socio-economic position (SEP), 36 % as medium SEP and 28 % as high SEP[23], while 58 % of students resided in a metropolitan location
High soft drink consumption clusters with a number of other unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, namely low intake of fruit, high intakes of fast foods and snack foods, weekly consumption of energy drinks, greater exposure to commercial television and short sleep duration
Ours is the first national study conducted in Australia to show that both dietary and sedentary behaviours are independently associated with high soft drink consumption within an adolescent population
Summary
Design and procedure Data were obtained from students participating in the 2012–13 National Secondary Students’ Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey. Television viewing was assessed by asking students to indicate how long they spend watching commercial television on a usual school day, Saturday and Sunday (recorded in hours and minutes). These responses were used to calculate students’ weighted average daily time spent watching commercial television. Each variable measuring students’ eating, physical activity, television viewing and sleeping patterns was binary coded to indicate poor behaviours (e.g. low intake (≤1 daily serving) of vegetables and fruit, at least weekly consumption of fast foods, television viewing >2 h/d (consistent with national guidelines)(22)). A binary variable was created to identify students who reported usually buying soft drinks when making a beverage purchase from the school canteen and/or school vending machine. Given the large sample size, a more conservative significance level of P < 0·01 was applied
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