Sociodemographic, behavioural and environmental correlates of sweetened beverage consumption among pre-school children

Abstract

Objective To identify sociodemographic and environmental correlates of sweetened beverages (regular soft drinks, fruit juice) among children of pre-school age. Design Children's dietary intake, food behaviours and screen time were measured by parental report. A Geographic Informational System was used to assess the number of grocery stores and fast-food restaurants available within 1 km of the children's residence. Multivariate log-binomial regression models were constructed to determine correlates of drinking soft drinks during the previous week. Setting Edmonton region, Canada. Subjects Children aged 4 and 5 years (n 2114) attending a public health unit for immunization were recruited for a cohort study on determinants of childhood obesity, between 2005 and 2007. Results Children from neighbourhoods with low socio-economic status (relative risk (RR) = 1. 17, 95 % CI 0. 98, 1. 40) or who participated in >2 h of screen time daily (RR = 1. 28, 95 % CI 1. 13, 1. 45) were significantly more likely to have consumed regular soft drinks within the last week. Those who lived within 1 km of a grocery store were significantly less likely to consume regular soft drinks (RR = 0. 84, 95 % CI 0. 73, 0. 96). Children who participated in >2 h of screen time daily (RR = 1. 16, 95 % CI 1. 06, 1. 27) were more likely to exceed the recommended weekly number of servings of fruit juice. Conclusions Socio-economic and built environment factors are associated with soft drink consumption in children of pre-school age. These findings may help health professionals to advocate for policies that reduce soft drink consumption among children. © 2012 Copyright The Authors.