Abstract
BackgroundThe tiered sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax was implemented in Thailand to encourage industries to reduce sugar content in beverages, and consequently reduce sugar consumption in the population. The aim of the study is to explore the expected impact of the new SSB tax policy in Thailand, a middle-income country in Asia, and other alternative policies on oral health outcomes as measured by the prevalence and severity of dental caries among the Thai population.MethodsA qualitative system dynamics model that captures the complex interrelationships among SSB tax, sugar consumption and dental caries, was elicited through participatory stakeholder engagement. Based on the qualitative model, a quantitative system dynamics model was developed to simulate the SSB tax policy and other alternative scenarios in order to evaluate their impact on dental caries among Thai adults from 2010 to 2040.ResultsUnder the base-case scenario, the dental caries prevalence among the Thai population 15 years and older, is projected to increase from 61.3% in 2010 to 74.9% by 2040. Implementation of SSB tax policy is expected to decrease the prevalence of dental caries by only 1% by 2040, whereas the aggressive policy is projected to decrease prevalence of dental caries by 21% by 2040.ConclusionsIn countries where a majority of the sugar consumed is from non-tax sugary food and beverages, especially Asian countries where street food culture is ubiquitous and contributes disproportionately to sugar intake, SSB tax alone is unlikely to have meaningful impact on oral health unless it is accompanied with a comprehensive public health policy that aims to reduce total sugar intake from non-SSB sources.
Highlights
The tiered sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax was implemented in Thailand to encourage industries to reduce sugar content in beverages, and reduce sugar consumption in the population
The fraction of total sugar consumed in Thailand from SSB sources has increased from 15% in 2000 to 21% by 2015, while that from non-SSB sources has decreased from 85% in 2000 to 79% by 2015 [7]
Under the base-case scenario, the prevalence of dental caries, among the Thai population 15 years and older is projected to increase from 61.3% in 2010 to 74.9% by 2040
Summary
The tiered sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax was implemented in Thailand to encourage industries to reduce sugar content in beverages, and reduce sugar consumption in the population. The aim of the study is to explore the expected impact of the new SSB tax policy in Thailand, a middle-income country in Asia, and other alternative policies on oral health outcomes as measured by the prevalence and severity of dental caries among the Thai population. A review of national surveys and studies suggests that common food sources of sugar and indirect sugar consumption in all age groups were sweetened beverages, Thai desserts, and confectionery [8]. Among these food sources, sugarsweetened beverages (SSB) represent the largest source of sugar consumption [8, 9]. Twenty four percent of the Thai population consumed at least one serving of SSB daily, which contains sugar ranging from 10 g in dairy product and cereal drinks, to 34 g per serving in soft drinks [9, 11]
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