Key Points Question Was the COVID-19 pandemic associated with changes in pregnancy-related outcomes? Findings In a cohort of more than 1.6 million pregnant patients across 463 US hospitals, the number of live births decreased by 5.2% during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to April 2021) compared with the 14 months prior. While live-birth outcomes and mode of delivery remained stable, small but significant increases in pregnancy-related complications and maternal death during delivery hospitalization were observed. Meaning In this study, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in pregnancy-related complications and maternal deaths during delivery hospitalization.

Background Although previous studies have documented declines in intake from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in the United States, it is important to examine whether heavy SSB intake (500 kcal/day) is decreasing in parallel. Examining the intake patterns of heavy SSB consumers is imperative because these individuals face the greatest health risks and thus may benefit the most from targeted policy and programmatic efforts to reduce intake. Objective To provide the most recent national estimates for trends in heavy SSB intake among children and adults in the United States between 2003-2004 and 2015-2016, to examine whether these trends differ by sociodemographic characteristics, and to describe where SSB are acquired and consumed by the heaviest SSB consumers.

Objective: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has declined steadily. This study uses the latest national data to examine trends in SSB consumption among children and adults by race and/or ethnicity and to document whether long-standing disparities in intake remain. Design: Trend analyses of demographic and dietary data measured by 24-hour dietary recall from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Setting: Data from the 2003-2004 through 2017-2018 NHANES survey cycles were analyzed in 2020. Participants: The study sample included 21,156 children aged 2-19 years and 32,631 adults aged 20+ years. Results: From 2003-2004 to 2017-2018, the prevalence of drinking any amount of SSBs on a given day declined significantly among all race and/or ethnicity groups for children (non-Hispanic [NH] White: 81.6% to 72.7%; NH Black: 83.2% to 74.8%, Hispanic: 86.9% to 77.2%) and most race and/or ethnicity groups for adults (NH White: 72.3% to 65.3%; Hispanic: 84.6% to 77.8%). Consumption declined at a higher rate among NH Black and Hispanic children aged 12-19 years compared to their NH White peers; among NH Black children aged 6-11 years, the rate of decline was lower. Despite significant declines in per capita SSB calorie consumption from soda and fruit drinks, consumption of sweetened coffee/tea beverages increased among older children and nearly all adults, and consumption of sweetened milk beverages increased among NH White and Hispanic children. Conclusions: SSB consumption has declined steadily for children and adults of all race and/or ethnicity groups, but disparities persist, and overall intake remains high.

Key Points Question How has the 2017 Philadelphia beverage tax factored into longer-term changes in beverage prices and purchases in independent food retail stores based on observational data? Findings This cross-sectional study found that, 2 years after tax implementation, price audits of stores showed 137% of the tax was passed through to prices and bag checks indicated a 42% decline in volume of taxed beverages purchased in Philadelphia compared with Baltimore. Total calories purchased from beverages and high-sugar foods declined, suggesting food substitution did not offset beverage declines. Meaning These findings suggest a city-level beverage excise tax was associated with persistent declines in purchases of sweetened drinks and calories from sugar in independent stores.

IntroductionLarge chain restaurants reduced calories in their newly-introduced menu items from 2012 to 2015. The objective of this study was to provide updated calorie trends through 2018 and examine trends in the macronutrient composition of menu items across this time period. OPEN ACCESS Citation: Bleich SN, Soto MJ, Dunn CG, Moran AJ, Block JP (2020) Calorie and nutrient trends in large U.S. chain restaurants, 2012-2018. PLoS ONE 15 (2): e0228891. https://doi.