Consumption of Soft Drinks and Overweight and Obesity Among Adolescents in 107 Countries and Regions
Main finding · Overweight and obesityResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 1.14 95% CI 1.08–1.21Authors' conclusion
In this study of 107 countries and regions, the prevalence of daily consumption of soft drinks was associated with the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescent students. Our results, in conjunction with other evidence, suggest that reducing soft drink consumption should be a priority in combating adolescent overweight and obesity.
Study context
- Population
- School-going adolescents in 107 countries and regions (65 low- and middle-income, 42 high-income); Global School-Based Student Health Survey (2009–2017), European Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study (2017–2018), US Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2019); mean (SD) age 14.2 (1.7) years, 48.4% males107 countries and regions
- Participants
- 405,528 adolescents
- Exposure
- Daily vs nondaily soft drink consumption
- Outcome
- Overweight and obesity defined by the World Health Organization Growth Reference Data
Methodological detailspooled data from 3 cross-sectional surveys, country-level and individual-level analyses
- Pooled data from 3 cross-sectional surveys
- Country-level and individual-level analyses
Main finding
Overweight and obesity
Odds ratio
1.14
95% CI 1.08–1.21
Daily soft drink consumptionvs Nondaily soft drink consumption
OR 1.14 (95% CI 1.08–1.21)
As reported in the abstract
- Country-level correlation between prevalence of daily soft drink consumption and prevalence of overweight and obesity (R)
- 0.44; P < .001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of overweight and obesity by country
- Lowest: Cambodia
- 3.3% (95% CI, 2.6 to 4.1)
- Highest: Niue
- 64.0% (95% CI, 57.0 to 71.6)
Prevalence of daily soft drink consumption by country
- Lowest: Iceland
- 3.3% (95% CI, 2.9 to 3.7)
- Highest: Niue
- 79.6% (95% CI, 74.0 to 85.3)
Original publication
Consumption of Soft Drinks and Overweight and Obesity Among Adolescents in 107 Countries and Regions. JAMA Netw Open. Published 3 July 2023. doi:10.
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