Added sugar intake by adolescents: A population-based study

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of added sugar intake within the maximum limit of 5% of the total energy of the diet and test associations with demographic/socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviors and nutritional status in adolescents. A population- based, cross-sectional study was conducted with two-stage cluster sampling. The amount of free sugar in the diet was estimated using a 24- hour dietary recall. Among the 924 adolescents evaluated, only 20.1% (95% CI: 16.8-23.9) met the recommendation of not exceeding 5% of total calories with added sugar. Higher prevalence rates of adherence to the recommendation were found among males (22.0%), adolescents aged 15 to 19 years (24.3%), those born outside the state of São Paulo (30.4%), those with less screen time (27.5%), those with a lower number of household appliances (0-7: 29.5%; 8-15: 20.3%) and those with higher diet quality scores (2nd tertile: 17.7%; 3rd tertile: 37.2%). The findings demonstrate factors associated with added sugar intake from an epidemiological perspective, revealing the simultaneity of inappropriate behaviors, that is, the adolescents who consume more sugar also have longer screen time and worse overall diet quality.