Citation
Doherty, Alex M.; Lacko, Allison; & Popkin, Barry M. (Online ahead of print). Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Consumption is Associated with Lower Quality of the Non-SSB Diet Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. PMCID: PMC Journal - In ProcessAbstract
Background: Since 2003–4, the United States has seen large declines in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake overall, especially among non-Hispanic white (NHW) subpopulations. However, obesity prevalence has not shown comparable declines in the 2 highest SSB-consuming groups, adolescents and young adults.Little is understood about the quality of the diet excluding SSBs (nonSSB diet).
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in non-SSB diet quality in SSB consumers and nonconsumers in adolescents and young adults and in the 3 major race/ethnic subgroups.
Methods: This study utilized data from the NHANES, a crosssectional, nationally representative survey of the US population. Data from 6426 participants aged 12–29 y from the NHANES (2009–2014) was included. Quality of the non-SSB diet was measured using the 2015 Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Multivariate linear regressions controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and included interactions by race/ethnicity [NHWs, non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), Hispanics]. Individuals were classified as non-, low- (<10% of daily calories), or high-SSB consumers (≥10% of daily calories), according to the US Dietary Guidelines added sugar intake recommendation.
Results: Non-SSB HEI scores differed among SSB consumer groups (53 for adolescent nonconsumers compared with 46 for high consumers, P < 0.001; 57 for young adult nonconsumers compared with 45 for high consumers, P < 0.001), although all scores were low and require improvement. Among NHBs, significant
differences in non-SSB HEI were found only between non- and lowSSB consumers. In Hispanics, associations varied by age group, with significant differences found for young adults but no association found for adolescents.
Conclusions: Low non-SSB HEI scores in SSB consumers suggest that reducing SSB consumption alone will not be a sufficient strategy for improving dietary quality in adolescents and young adults. Future policies must also consider improving the non-SSB diet.
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa342Reference Type
Journal ArticleArticle Type
RegularYear Published
Online ahead of printJournal Title
The American Journal of Clinical NutritionAuthor(s)
Doherty, Alex M.Lacko, Allison
Popkin, Barry M.