Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption from 1998-2017: Findings from the health behaviour in school-aged children/school health research network in Wales.

Kelly Morgan,Jemma Hawkins,Graham Moore,Chris Roberts,Simon Murphy,Britt Hallingberg,Manal Alhumud,Emily Lowthian,Jane Anne Scott

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0248847

Abstract

To date no study has examined time trends in adolescent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and energy drinks, or modelled change in inequalities over time. The present study aimed to fill this gap by identifying historical trends among secondary school students in Wales, United Kingdom. The present study includes 11-16 year olds who completed the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey and the Welsh School Health Research Network (SHRN) survey between 1998 to 2017. Multinomial regression models were employed alongside tests for interaction effects. A total of 176,094 student responses were assessed. From 1998 to 2017, the prevalence of daily sugar-sweetened beverage consumption decreased (57% to 18%) while weekly consumption has remained constant since 2006 (49% to 52%). From 2013 to 2017, daily consumption of energy drinks remained stable (6%) while weekly consumption reports steadily decreased (23% to 15%). Boys, older children and those from a low socioeconomic group reported higher consumption rates of sugar-sweetened beverages and energy drinks. Consumption according to socioeconomic group was the only characteristic to show a statistically significant change over time, revealing a widening disparity between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption rates of those from low and high socioeconomic groups. Findings indicate a positive shift in overall consumption rates of both sugar-sweetened beverages and energy drinks. Adolescents from a low socioeconomic group however were consistently shown to report unfavourable sugar-sweetened beverages consumption when compared to peers from high socioeconomic group. Given the established longer term impacts of sugar-sweetened beverage and energy drink consumption on adolescent health outcomes, urgent policy action is required to reduce overall consumption rates, with close attention to equity of impact throughout policy design and evaluation plans.

Highlights

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), including energy drinks (EDs) represents a significant public health problem, with consumption rates linked to an increased health risk of type II diabetes [1] and dental erosion [2]
The total sample comprised 176,094 student responses (S1 Table provides a breakdown across each survey wave)
Cross-tabulations (S2 Table) showed a relationship between SSB and ED consumption, with daily SSB consumption being largely related to daily ED consumption, and vice-versa for never consumption of SSBs and EDs (χ2 = 24000, p

Summary

Introduction

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), including energy drinks (EDs) represents a significant public health problem, with consumption rates linked to an increased health risk of type II diabetes [1] and dental erosion [2]. Soft drinks contribute an estimated 40% of sugar intake among adolescents [3], of which EDs make up an increasing proportion [4]. In 2017, one study found that 95% of EDs would receive a ‘red’ (high) label for sugars per serving [5]. This poses a concern as dietary patterns track from adolescence into adulthood [6], and this period represents a crucial phase in the life-course for the development of various diseases [7]. The EDs market is estimated to be worth over £2 billion in the UK [11] and $50 billion globally, with a projected annual growth rate of 3.5% between 2015 and 2020 [12]. Concerns around ED consumption primarily relate to the high caffeine content, some large ED cans may contain up to 21 teaspoons of sugar [13], over three times the daily recommendation [14]

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