ObjectiveTo explore awareness and perceptions of the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax implemented in Mexico in 2014 among a sample of Mexican adolescents, and to investigate how the tax has affected their purchases and intake of SSB.DesignQualitative.SettingSemi-structured interviews were conducted in April–May 2016. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.SubjectsAdolescents residing in north-west Mexico (n29, 55·2 % females), aged 15–19 years.ResultsFour main themes emerged: awareness of taxation; perceptions of how the tax has affected SSB intake; reasons why the tax was not perceived to have affected SSB intake; and preferences for substitution of the taxed SSB. Participants were mostly unaware of the tax and perceived that it would not cause reductions in their intake of SSB; they felt that the price increase was low and insufficient to affect intake. Taste preferences and ‘addiction’ to SSB were highlighted as the main reasons why participants perceived taxation would not affect intake. If SSB prices were to increase further via a higher tax, participants would consider substituting SSB with other beverages, namely home-made drinks (e.g. 100 % fruit juices), non-caloric, instant-flavoured drinks and water.ConclusionsThese findings provide important insights into the views of this sample of Mexican adolescents regarding the taxation of SSB, by pointing out several possible limitations of the tax policy in Mexico. These results could inform the design of future interventions directed at Mexican youth that would complement and strengthen the current SSB taxation.
Aim To explore adolescents' perceptions of how the home environment promotes the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and to identify the potential environmental cues that trigger SSB intake at home. Subjects and methods Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted among adolescents, aged 15-19 years, residing in an urban area in Northwest Mexico. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Adolescents perceived that the availability of SSBs in the household increased their intake of SSBs. Availability of SSBs was facilitated mainly by taste preferences, ease of buying and beliefs that fruit-containing SSBs are healthy. Availability at home was considered important because SSBs were normally consumed with food during meals. Family influences and a lack of parental regulation were also regarded as factors promoting adolescents' SSB intake at home. Drinking SSBs with food and having SSBs available at home were identified as habits that had been performed by participants' families for many years. Conclusions These findings provide insights into the role of the home and family environment in promoting SSB intake. Future interventions to reduce SSB intake in this sample of Mexican adolescents should address availability and facilitators of SSB intake at home, family influences and parental regulation.
There is evidence of the association between different retail stores and food consumption, yet research is still limited in low- and medium-income countries, where the context of the food retail environment is different from that observed in high-income countries. Specifically, less is known about how convenience and small grocery stores, which offer products with immediate access, are associated with the diet as a whole. The present study assessed the association between density of convenience and small grocery stores and diet quality in adults from the Mexico City Representative Diabetes Survey 2015. A final sample size of 1,023 adults aged 20–69 years was analyzed. The density of stores was measured using Euclidean buffers within 500 meters of each participant's home. The Mexican Alternate Healthy Eating Index (MxAHEI) was used to assess diet quality. Multivariable Poisson models were used to test the association of convenience and small grocery stores densities with the MxAHEI. Although our results were not statistically significant, we observed a lower diet quality score among adults from Mexico City living in areas with a higher density of small grocery and convenience stores. More research is needed on the influence of environmental food retail on food consumption.
The public health burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases in Mexico is one of the highest in the world, and one of its main causes is the change in diet of the population. The urban food environment has been suggested as a key contributor towards the increasing deterioration in diets. Our objective was to present the first spatial and health characterization of the food environment of Mexico City. The data source was the National Statistics Directory of Economic Units 2020, which provides data on the urban supply of food and beverages. Food outlets were classified into 14 types according to the food items that are mainly sold. Local spatial autocorrelation methods were used to assess the existence of spatial patterns. The results suggest all types of food outlet showed high- density clusters and low -density clusters, with the geographic location of these clusters varying based on the type of establishment and by socioeconomic status of the census tracts. This paper puts forward a health-based classification of food retail outlets, to identify the spatial distribution of food outlets in relation to nutrition and health. This could guide researchers and policymakers towards improvements, particularly to direct interventions towards specific areas of the city.
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