Trends and patterns in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children and adults by race and/or ethnicity, 2003-2018.

OBJECTIVE

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has declined steadily. This study uses the latest national data to examine trends in SSB consumption among children and adults by race and/or ethnicity and to document whether long-standing disparities in intake remain.

DESIGN

Trend analyses of demographic and dietary data measured by 24-h dietary recall from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

SETTING

Data from the 2003-2004 through 2017-2018 NHANES survey cycles were analysed in 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

The study sample included 21 156 children aged 2-19 years and 32 631 adults aged 20+ years.

RESULTS

From 2003-2004 to 2017-2018, the prevalence of drinking any amount of SSB on a given day declined significantly among all race and/or ethnicity groups for children (non-Hispanic (NH) White: 81·6 % to 72·7 %; NH Black: 83·2 % to 74·8 %, Hispanic: 86·9 % to 77·2 %) and most race and/or ethnicity groups for adults (NH White: 72·3 % to 65·3 %; Hispanic: 84·6 % to 77·8 %). Consumption declined at a higher rate among NH Black and Hispanic children aged 12-19 years compared with their NH White peers; among NH Black children aged 6-11 years, the rate of decline was lower. Despite significant declines in per capita SSB energy consumption from soda and fruit drinks, consumption of sweetened coffee/tea beverages increased among older children and nearly all adults and consumption of sweetened milk beverages increased among NH White and Hispanic children.

CONCLUSIONS

SSB consumption has declined steadily for children and adults of all race and/or ethnicity groups, but disparities persist, and overall intake remains high.