Association between socioeconomic factors and soft drink consumption among adults in Cambodia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Soft drinks are an attractive and popular drink, consumed by many people to fulfill their energy. However, soft drink consumption is an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic factors and soft drink consumption among adults in Cambodia.  Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study with multi-stage random sampling was used to select 749 respondents from 12 communes across 5 districts in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. A structured questionnaire was used to assess socioeconomic factors and soft drink consumption. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. Crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confident intervals (CI) were calculated to show the strength of associations. Results: The overall prevalence of soft drink consumption was 44.73% (95%CI: 41.16-48.30%) across the sample population. The final model of multiple logistic regression showed only four factors to be significantly associated with soft drink consumption: gender, age, family size and income. Respondents most likely to consume soft drinks were men (AOR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.10-2.00; p=0.009), those aged 31-59 years (AOR: 1.93, 95%CI: 1.98-4.62; p<0.001), those in a household of less than 5 individuals (AOR: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.44-3.19; p=0.036), and those earning <300$/month (AOR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.10-2.31; p=0.003). Conclusion: The prevalence of soft drink consumption in Cambodia is a major concern for public health. The predictive factors significantly associated with soft drink consumption identified by this study were gender, age, household size and income. Therefore, all stakeholders should contribute to social marketing and intervention focusing on reducing the consumption of soft drinks through advertising on social media, television and other popular media platforms. Furthermore, additional taxation of soft drinks should be considered.