Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in a Rural Family Medicine Clinic.

BACKGROUND

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of calories, and are associated with adverse health outcomes. Because the majority of studies are undertaken in urban areas, the rural intake of SSB presents a significant gap in current knowledge. The objective of our study was to assess SSB intake in a rural primary care clinic.

METHODS

The Beverage Intake Questionnaire is a 15-item self-reported questionnaire and has been extensively validated to assess habitual SSB consumption. The survey was administered to adult primary care clinic patients presenting for routine care over a 6-week period at a clinic in a rural central Nebraska community (population < 1,000).

RESULTS

Survey participants (n = 121) were primarily white with an average age of 61 years (SD = 18.0) and an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.9 kg/m (SD = 7.5). Participants consumed an average of 1.05 SSBs per day (SD = 1.3), and 33.5% of respondents consumed one or more SSBs per day. The average daily caloric intake from SSBs was 153 Kilocalories (Kcals) compared the national average intake of 145 Kcals. The most commonly consumed caloric beverages, based on Kilocalories consumed, were 100% juice and regular soda. SSB consumption was not related to with BMI.

DISCUSSION

In a rural primary care clinic, the daily consumption of SSB by patients was found to be a noteworthy source of calories, with no significant difference in consumption across BMI categories. Mitigation of SSB consumption by rural primary care clinicians is imperative for optimizing health.