Abstract
The consumption of sugar-containing beverages (SCB) has been associated with obesity although the evidence in preschool children is scarce. Cross-sectional analyses were performed to assess the association between obesity and SCB consumption (packaged juices and sugar-sweetened soft drinks) in 1823 children at the age of 4–5 years from the INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) Project. One drink was defined as a glass of 175 mL, and the consumption of SCB was categorized in <1, 1–7 drinks/week and > 1 drink/day. We used multiple logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR). The average SCB consumption was 79.1 mL/day, mainly from packaged juices (80.9%). The SCB consumption was lower in non-obese children than in children with obesity, 76.6 vs 118.4 mL/day (p = 0.02). After adjusting for covariates, children who consumed >1 drink/day showed elevated odds of obesity, OR = 3.23 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.48–6.98) compared to children who consumed <1 SCB drink a week. Each additional SCB drink per day was associated with higher odds of obesity, OR = 1.55 (1.14–2.09). Higher consumption of packaged juices, but not sugar-sweetened soft drinks, was significantly associated with higher odds of obesity, OR = 1.55 (1.09–2.15) and OR = 1.59 (0.76–3.39), respectively. A higher SCB consumption is associated with obesity in preschool children, mainly due to the consumption of packaged juices.
Highlights
Childhood obesity is a major public health problem owing to the global increase in the prevalence during the last four decades [1,2], and to the adverse health consequences in child and adult life [3,4]
A lower maternal educational level and social class, smoking during pregnancy, and higher parental Body mass index (BMI) and maternal weight gain were more common in children with obesity (p < 0.05)
This study suggests that the consumption of sugar-containing beverages (SCB) is associated with obesity in children 4–5 years old
Summary
Childhood obesity is a major public health problem owing to the global increase in the prevalence during the last four decades [1,2], and to the adverse health consequences in child and adult life [3,4]. The estimated worldwide prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in 2010 was Nutrients 2019, 11, 1772; doi:10.3390/nu11081772 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. In a systematic review on the causes of obesity in children that included 61 articles, it was concluded that there was sufficient evidence to support the association between low physical activity and genetic factors and the development of excessive fatness in children and adolescents, there was less evidence for other factors such as sedentary behavior or dietary factors among which were included sugar-containing beverages (SCB) intake [8,9]. The consumption of SCB has increased in parallel with the obesity epidemic in the last few decades in the
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