Cross-sectional survey of the amount of free sugars and calories in carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages on sale in the UK

BACKGROUND: This study sought to ascertain the opinions of members of the Kansas Legislature regarding pending sugar-sweetened beverage taxation legislation, including perceptions that such a tax would generate revenue or be associated with personal sugar-sweetened beverage consumption habits. METHODS: This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design and was conducted by administering an electronic or telephone survey of the 2010-2011 Kansas Legislature. Publicly-listed contact information for the 165 members in both chambers of the 2010-2011 Kansas Legislature was obtained. State legislators were invited via e-mail, telephone, or both to complete the survey. The main outcome measure was the degree of agreement or disagreement with the idea of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation. RESULTS: Seventy-eight legislators (47.3%) responded. Of these, 90.5% disagreed or strongly disagreed with taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages, and 86.5% disagreed or strongly disagreed with taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages if generated funds were set aside to subsidize healthy choices. Party affiliation, geographic area represented, and personal consumption of sugar-sweetened behaviors were not associated significantly with legislators’ opinions of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of respondents in the Kansas Legislature reported opposing a sugar-sweetened beverage tax. While some respondents identified obesity as a problem, taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages was not a favorable option among Kansas legislators.

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Sugar and energy content of carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages in Haidian District, Beijing: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022048 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. e022048 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lizi Lin ◽

Chenxiong Li ◽

Chuyao Jin ◽

Yuanzhou Peng ◽

Kawther M Hashem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Content ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Free Sugar ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sugar Intake ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Beijing China ◽

Serving Size

ObjectiveThe consumption of carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages (CSSBs) is associated with a range of health problems, but little is known about the sugar and energy content of CSSBs in China. The study aimed to investigate the sugar and energy content of CSSBs in Beijing, China.Study designWe carried out a cross-sectional survey in 15 different supermarkets from July to October 2017 in Haidian District, Beijing.MethodsThe product packaging and nutrient labels of CSSBs were recorded by a snapshot in time to obtain company name, product name, serving size, and nutrient content, that is, carbohydrate, sugar and energy. For CSSB labels not showing sugar content, we used carbohydrate content as substitute. The sugar and energy content of CSSBs within each type of flavour were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. The sugar content within the recommended levels was described using frequency. We also compared the sugar and energy content of top 5 CSSBs in terms of sales among three countries (China, UK and USA).ResultsA total of 93 CSSB products were found. The median sugar content was 9.3 (IQR: 5.7–11.2) g/100 mL, and the energy content was 38 (IQR: 23–46) kcal/100 mL. There were 79 products labelled ‘Red’ (high) per serving based on the criteria set in the UK (>11.25 g/100 mL). We found 62.4% of CSSBs had sugar content per serving that exceeds the daily free sugar intake for adults (25 g) recommended by the WHO. Some of the branded products sold in China had higher sugar content when they were compared with those in Western countries.ConclusionsCSSBs in Beijing, China have high sugar and energy content. Reduction in sugar content and serving size of CSSBs and taxation policy on beverages will be beneficial in reducing sugar intake in China.

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Sugar Content in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the Aftermath of Thailand’s Sugar Tax: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand ◽

10.35755/jmedassocthai.2021.04.11621 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 552-559

Keyword(s):

Soft Drink ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Fermented Milk ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Product Packaging ◽

Tax Rate ◽

Taxation Policy ◽

Sweetened Beverages

Background: The high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to overweight and chronic disease. Since Thailand launched its sugar taxation policy, the sugar content of SSBs remains unknown. Objective: To assess product sugar content as g/100 mL and the number of products that meet the sugar tax criteria and to compare sugar content levels across various SSB categories. Materials and Methods: Between April and May 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Bangkok and five provinces in health region 2, which are Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Tak, and Uttaradit, using major supermarket retailers and local convenience stores. Data were collected from product packaging and nutrition information panels (NIP) of each SSB via photograph. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare sugar content across various SSB categories. Results: From 1,316 SSBs, the products without NIPs (n=79) were excluded, along with duplicate products in different packaging sizes (n=248). The remaining 989 items were included in the authors’ analyses. The median sugar content of all products was 7.5 (IQR 5.0 to 10.0) g/100 mL. The maximum sugar content was 24.0 g/100 mL in fermented milk and the minimum was 0.2 g/100 mL in herbal beverages. Flavored drinking yogurts had the highest median sugar content, at 11.7 (IQR 7.5 to 13.9) g/100 mL, while flavored water had the lowest median, at 4.5 (IQR 3.0 to 8.6) g/100 mL. There were statistically significant differences in sugar content between SSBs categories (p<0.001). Of all 989 products, 393 (39.7%) had a sugar content below 6 g/100 mL and were subjected to zero tax. Conclusion: Most of SSBs have low sugar content level with respect to excise sugar tax rate. However, the sugar content in drinkable dairy products and carbonated soft drink are of concern. Keywords: Sugar-sweetened beverages, Serving size, Sugar, Taxation

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Energy-dense dietary patterns high in free sugars and saturated fat and associations with obesity in young adults

European Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1007/s00394-021-02758-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine Mary Livingstone ◽

Meaghan J. Sexton-Dhamu ◽

Felicity J. Pendergast ◽

Anthony Worsley ◽

Barbara Brayner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Reduced Rank Regression ◽

Food Diary ◽

Fiber Density ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Free Sugars ◽

Sweetened Beverages

Abstract Purpose To derive dietary patterns based on dietary energy density (DED), free sugars, SFA, and fiber and investigate association with odds of overweight/obesity in young adults. Methods Cross-sectional data from 625 young Australian adults (18–30 years) were used. Dietary patterns were derived using reduced rank regression based on dietary data from a smartphone food diary using DED, free sugars, SFA, and fiber density as response variables. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate associations between dietary patterns and odds of self-reported overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). Results Two dietary patterns were identified (DP1 and DP2). DP-1 was positively correlated with DED, free sugars, and SFA, and inversely correlated with fiber density. It was characterized by higher sugar-sweetened beverages intake and lower vegetable intake, and associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity (OR: 1.22; 95% CI 1.05, 1.42). DP-2 was positively correlated with fiber density and free sugars, and inversely correlated with DED and SFA. It was characterized by higher sugar-sweetened beverages intake and lower non-lean red meat intake, and was not significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Conclusion An energy-dense dietary pattern high in free sugars and SFA and low in fiber was associated with higher odds of obesity in young adults. These findings support dietary interventions that target reductions in energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

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Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Consumption and Associated Factors among Northeastern Chinese Children

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13072233 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 2233

Author(s):

Xuxiu Zhuang ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Joel Gittelsohn ◽

Emma Lewis ◽

Shenzhi Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Normal Weight ◽

Chinese Children ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Time Frequency ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Convenience Stores ◽

Pocket Money ◽

At Home

(1) Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association between home-related factors, community environmental factors, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake among Northeastern Chinese children. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional. Children with complete data were included in the analysis (n = 901). A questionnaire modified according to BEVQ-15 measured the intake of SSBs. Logistic regression was applied to determine the factors associated with the consumption of SSBs. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 was applied to perform all statistical analyses. (3) Results: The mean total amount of SSBs consumed on a weekly basis was 2214.04 ± 2188.62 mL. Children’s weekly pocket money, frequency of SSBs purchase, SSBs availability at home, the number of accessible supermarkets, and frequency of weekly visits to convenience stores were all found to be associated with a high intake of SSBs among all children. Among children of normal weight, the findings indicated that weekly pocket money, SSBs availability at home, and number of accessible supermarkets were associated with a high SSBs intake. At the same time, frequency of SSBs purchase, mother’s SSBs intake, and frequency of weekly visits to convenience stores were associated with a high SSBs intake among children with obesity. (4) Conclusions: Given the potential negative health effects of high SSBs intake, it is crucial to pay attention to home-related factors and community environment.

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Survey of young people in one region of the UK on accessing COVID-19 information (SOCIAL)

BMJ Paediatrics Open ◽

10.1136/bmjpo-2020-000942 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. e000942

Author(s):

Oliver G P Lawton ◽

Sarah A Lawton ◽

Lisa Dikomitis ◽

Joanne Protheroe ◽

Joanne Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Young People ◽

Significant Role ◽

Online Survey ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Education Gaps ◽

The Uk

COVID-19 has significantly impacted young people’s lives yet little is known about the COVID-19 related sources of information they access. We performed a cross-sectional survey of pupils (11–16 years) in North Staffordshire, UK. 408 (23%) pupils responded to an online survey emailed to them by their school. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Social media, accessed by 68%, played a significant role in the provision of information, despite it not being considered trustworthy. 89% felt that COVID-19 had negatively affected their education. Gaps in the provision of information on COVID-19 have been identified.

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Mask use, risk mitigation behaviours and pandemic fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic in five cities in Australia, the UK and USA: a cross-sectional survey

International Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.ijid.2021.03.056 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

C. Raina MacIntyre ◽

Phi-Yen Nguyen ◽

Abrar Ahmad Chughtai ◽

Mallory Trent ◽

Brian Gerber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Mitigation ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk

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841 The psychological impact of Foundation Interim Year 1 Placements on Final Year UK Medical Students Transitioning to Foundation Year One During the COVID Era

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab134.093 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

M Durand-Hill ◽

D I Ike ◽

A N Nijhawan ◽

A B Shah ◽

A Dawson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Hospital Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Stress Scale ◽

The Uk

Abstract Introduction During the COVID pandemic, the 2019-2020 cohort of final year students were invited to participate in Foundation interim Year 1 placements (FiY1). FiY1 aimed to ease transition to Foundation Year 1 doctor (FY1). We assessed the psychological impact of FiY1 on final year medical students. Method A cross-sectional survey was distributed to final year medical students in the UK between June 4th and July 4th, 2020. The survey contained the following domains: participant demographics, rationale for FiY1 participation, a checklist of the key safety principles for FiY1s, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress scale-4. Results 107 final years responded to the survey. 72.0% (n = 77) of final year students surveyed were working as FiY1s. Final year students participating in FiY1 postings had reduced rates of anxiety (29.9% vs 43.4%, P = 0.186), depression (5.2% vs 20.0%, P = 0.018) and lower perceived stress levels (5.0 vs 7.2, P < 0.001). 19.5% (15/77) FiY1s reported working beyond their competency, 27.3% (22/77) felt unsupervised, but 94.8% (73/77) of FiY1s felt the post prepared them for FY1. Conclusions Students participating in FiY1 postings felt less stressed and depressed than those not participating in the scheme and the majority felt it was preparing them for FY1.

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