Trends in Beverage Consumption and Related Demographic Factors and Obesity among Korean Children and Adolescents

Abstract

It is well known that reducing consumption of sugar is a global public health priority. Beverages were the primary source of total sugar intake from processed foods. However, there are few studies investigating the trend of beverage consumption among children and adolescents in Korea. We examined the overall trend in beverage consumption among 11,996 participants aged 10–18 years who were enrolled in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (1998–2018). Further, we examined the effect of beverage types on beverage consumption-related demographic factors and obesity among 6121 participants using the recent 24 h dietary recall data (2010–2018) that captured the consumption of fruit and vegetable juices, soft drinks, milk and milk-based products and alcoholic beverages. Demographic characteristics, including sex, age, body mass index, household income level and residential area, were considered. Consumers’ overall beverage intake and the percentage of energy derived from fruit and vegetable juices and soft drinks steadily increased from 1998 to 2016–2018 (p-trend < 0.0001); in contrast, dairy product consumption declined since 2010–2012. The main sources of beverage-based calories were fruit and vegetable juices (107.5 kcal/day), soft drinks (145.2 kcal/day), dairy products (181.8 kcal/day) and alcoholic beverages (103.5 kcal/day). Also, Korean adolescents aged 16–18 years consumed more soft drinks, fewer dairy products and higher alcoholic drinks than other age groups; particularly, boys consumed more energy from beverages (p < 0.0001). The odds ratios of obesity prevalence tended to be higher for soft drink consumption than for other beverages but this was not significant. The consumption of fruit and vegetable juices and milk and milk products showed a marginal association with a reduced risk of obesity prevalence. Since beverage consumption has increased steadily among Korean children and adolescents, appropriate interventions are needed. In the future, data from a larger sample of Korean children and adolescents are necessary to identify significant differences and longitudinal studies are necessary to examine the causalities.

Sex- and weight-specific changes in the frequency of sweet treat consumption during early adolescence: a longitudinal study

“…Boys have reported to consume more beverages compared with girls (e.g. 6,40) . Moreover, girls may have substituted sugary soft drinks for diet soft drinks.…”

“…In childhood, eating habits are primarily moulded by the family environment, such as their parents' habits, education level and socioeconomic status (SES), whilst as a teenager, peers, mass media and an individual's own body image increasingly shape preferences, portion sizes and dieting habits (3) . In adolescence, food choices are increasingly characterised by less consumption of fruits and vegetables and greater consumption of soft drinks and snacks with a high-energy density such as that found in chips, candies and chocolate (4)(5)(6) .…”

“…Although differences in food intake may appear already during early childhood (21) , these changes may lead to more pronounced differences in food consumption during puberty. In general, boys exhibit unhealthier eating habits compared with girls, such as consuming more sugar-sweetened beverages and less fruit and vegetable (6,8,22) . Importantly, eating habits established during childhood and adolescence are likely to track into adulthood (23) .…”

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Status and Its Association with Childhood Obesity among Chinese Children Aged 6–17 Years

“…In the United States, the average caloric intake from SSBs among children aged 2~19 years increased from 204 in 1994 to 224 kcal/day in 2004, and then declined to 132.5 in 2014 [ 14 , 15 ]. In Korea, children and adolescents’ beverage intake steadily increased from 1998 to 2016~2018 [ 16 ]. A study from China covering 4 cities indicated that SSB consumption among 8–14-year-old children in urban areas increased from 329 to 715 mL/d from 1998 to 2008 [ 17 ].…”

Caffeine-Containing Energy Shots Cause Acute Impaired Glucoregulation in Adolescents

“…Caffeine-containing energy shots represent a new and relatively understudied area of nutrition [ 24 ]. In the present study we evaluated the metabolic impact of these small format beverages in adolescents, who represent key consumers of the products [ 25 ]. Very little is known about the metabolic effects of caffeine energy shot consumption in adolescents who by nature of the normal influences of puberty are generally more insulin resistant [ 26 ].…”