 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Jean A. Welsh, MPH, RN1, Mary E. Cogswell, DrPH, RN1, Sharmini V. Rogers, MBBS, MPH2, Helaine RH Rockett, MS, RD3, Zuguo Mei1, and Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD1. (1) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K25, Atlanta, GA 30341, (770) 488-5179, jwelsh1@cdc.gov, (2) Division of Nutritional Health and Services, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65101, (3) Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
The rising prevalence of overweight in children has been linked in part to the consumption of sweet drinks. Our aim was to examine this relation in pre-school aged children. We analyzed the incidence of overweight (>95%ile body mass index [BMI]-for-age CDC 2000 growth charts) among 7690 black and white, 24-47 month-old children participating in the Missouri Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children from January 1998 -November 2001 with a visit one year later. We examined the association between baseline consumption of sweet drinks and subsequent overweight status with logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and total calories. Sweet drinks are defined as including “vitamin C juices”, “non-vitamin C juices”, “fruit drinks” including Hi-C, Kool-aid, lemonade, and “sodas” including sugar-sweetened soft drinks and pop. Median sweet drink consumption was 2.5 servings per day. At follow-up, 6.1% of children were overweight. An association was found between the servings of sweet drinks consumed and the incidence of overweight. Compared to the referent group (those consuming less than 1 serving/day) children that consumed: 1 - <2 drinks/day, 2 - < 3 drinks/day, and 3+ servings/day were, respectively, 1.8 times (95% CI, 1.3, 2.6), 1.4 times (95% CI, 0.98, 2.1); and 1.9 times (95%, CI, 1.3, 2.7) more likely to become overweight. No clear association between consumption levels of specific drink types and overweight incidence was found. Exclusion of “sodas” did not substantially alter the results. Total consumption of sweet drinks was associated with overweight among preschool children one year later.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.