Aljehany Buthaina M, Abduljawad Eman A, Alatwi Fadhah, Benajiba Nada
Food and Nutrition Department, Human Sciences and Design Faculty, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Regional Designated Center of Nutrition, Rabat, Morocco.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 16;13:1643309. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1643309. eCollection 2025.
Artificial sweeteners (AS) are increasingly used as sugar substitutes in Saudi Arabia, yet no studies have examined the patterns and attitudes related to their consumption.
To investigate AS consumption behaviors and attitudes among Saudi adults.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 386 Saudi adults using a validated online questionnaire, which included the Artificial Sweeteners Attitudes Scale (AASS) to assess acceptance, risk perception, perceived benefits, trust in regulators, and motivation for natural alternatives. Descriptive statistics summarized consumption patterns, and chi-square tests, regression analyses, and a hurdle model were applied to identify predictors of AS use.
About 42% of participants reported regular AS consumption, with 65% using AS primarily for weight management and 74.19% believing AS supports a healthy lifestyle. Education level was significantly associated with AS use ( = 0.001). While 61.40% expressed acceptance of AS, concerns about health (44.30%) and a preference for natural foods (66.84%) remained. Frequency of AS consumption was significantly associated with AASS subscales including acceptance, perceived benefits, health risk perception, and preference for natural alternatives. Female gender (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6) and higher education (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) emerged as significant predictors.
This study highlights a high prevalence of AS use among Saudi adults, largely motivated by weight management goals but tempered by health concerns and a preference for natural foods. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational and public health interventions to support informed dietary choices.
在沙特阿拉伯，人工甜味剂（AS）越来越多地被用作糖替代品，但尚无研究考察与其消费相关的模式和态度。
调查沙特成年人对人工甜味剂的消费行为和态度。
采用经过验证的在线问卷对386名沙特成年人进行横断面研究，问卷包括人工甜味剂态度量表（AASS），以评估接受程度、风险认知、感知益处、对监管机构的信任以及选择天然替代品的动机。描述性统计总结了消费模式，并应用卡方检验、回归分析和障碍模型来确定人工甜味剂使用的预测因素。
约42%的参与者报告经常食用人工甜味剂，65%的人主要将其用于体重管理，74.19%的人认为人工甜味剂有助于健康的生活方式。教育水平与人工甜味剂的使用显著相关（P = 0.001）。虽然61.40%的人表示接受人工甜味剂，但对健康的担忧（44.30%）和对天然食品的偏好（66.84%）依然存在。人工甜味剂的消费频率与AASS子量表显著相关，包括接受程度、感知益处、健康风险认知和对天然替代品的偏好。女性（OR 1.8，95% CI 1.2 - 2.6）和高等教育程度（OR 1.5，95% CI 1.1 - 2.1）是显著的预测因素。
本研究强调沙特成年人中人工甜味剂的高使用率，主要动机是体重管理目标，但受到健康担忧和对天然食品偏好的影响。这些发现强调需要有针对性的教育和公共卫生干预措施，以支持明智的饮食选择。
