High sugar-sweetened beverage intake frequency is associated with smoking, irregular meal intake and higher serum uric acid in Taiwanese adolescents.

Y. H. Shih,F. F Stanaway,H. Y. Chang,H. C. Wu,W. H. Pan

doi:10.1017/jns.2020.2

Abstract

Types of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can differ greatly between countries, with greater consumption of sweetened tea in Asia. This study aimed to understand changes in SSB consumption by adolescents in Taiwan over 18 years and their association with demographic characteristics and clinical outcome. This study used survey data from the 1993-1996 and 2010-2011 Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan. Participants were high school students aged 13 to 18 years. Data were weighted and analysed using SUDAAN 11.0 and SAS 9.4. Participants were asked about intake frequencies of SSB and were grouped into four different SSB intake groups based on the combination of high or low frequency (including moderate frequency) of intake of sweetened tea and soda/sports/energy drinks. Results indicated over 99% of teens reported having at least one SSB in the past week. Smoking status was significantly associated with SSB intake types with high tea intake (high tea and low soda (HL) group, OR 7·56, P < 0·001; high tea and high soda (HH) group, OR 9·96, P < 0·001). After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents in the low tea and high soda (LH) group (β = 0·05, P = 0·034) had significantly higher mean serum uric acid values. In conclusion, sugary tea remains the SSB of choice for Taiwanese adolescents. Those with a frequent intake of soda/sports/energy drinks had a higher chance of being hyperuricaemic.

Highlights

Types of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can differ greatly between countries, with greater consumption of sweetened tea in Asia
Two separate cross-sectional datasets for the present study come from the 1993–1996 and 2010–2011 Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT), whose youth data are available for application
In the 1993–1996 survey, adolescents had a mean frequency of SSB intake of 12·4 times per week and as many as 99·1 % of adolescents drank at least one SSB per week

Summary

Introduction

Types of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can differ greatly between countries, with greater consumption of sweetened tea in Asia. Participants were asked about intake frequencies of SSB and were grouped into four different SSB intake groups based on the combination of high or low frequency (including moderate frequency) of intake of sweetened tea and soda/sports/energy drinks. Sugary tea remains the SSB of choice for Taiwanese adolescents Those with a frequent intake of soda/sports/ energy drinks had a higher chance of being hyperuricaemic. A large number of studies have examined SSB intake in adolescents, most are from Western countries and have focused on intake of carbonated drinks (including soda, carbonated soda and carbonated beverages)(3,19–21). Culture plays an important role in the types of beverages consumed by adolescents, with intake of beverages (including coffee and tea) more common in adolescents in Asia and even surpassing that of soda is some Asian countries[19]. If a teenager consumes 9623 kJ/d (2300 kcal/d), about 10 % of the total energy would come from a glass of sweetened tea

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion