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Pattern of consumption of sugar‐sweetened drinks among elementary schoolchildren attending public schools in Amatitlán, Guatemala
Author(s) -
DíazJereda Liza Alejandra,
Oliva Raquel Campos,
Solomons Noel W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1153.14
Subject(s) - environmental health , consumption (sociology) , metropolitan area , meal , medicine , obesity , public health , demography , social science , nursing , pathology , sociology
Background Although the consumption of sweetened drinks contributes to the energy requirements of children, high consumption of sugary drinks have been linked to the risk of chronic, non‐communicable diseases. Objective To describe the sources, volumes and costs of sugar‐sweetened beverages in a convenience sample of school‐aged children from public schools in a suburban setting in the greater metropolitan Guatemala City area. Methods We recruited a total of 150 schoolchildren, 67 boys and 83 girls, from grades 1 to 6 in 4 elementary schools in the municipality of Amatitlán, 27 km south of Guatemala City. They were given crayons and a pre‐formatted work booklet, along with instructions to make a pictorial record of each meal and snack over the following 24 h. Upon returning the booklets, participants were interviewed concerning the portion size of all items consumed. A full analysis of 24‐h energy intake from all sources was compiled. With a focus on liquid items, they were classified into subgroups, and the packaging and nutrition labeling on each sugary drink reported was consulted to determine energy content and sales price. Results Median 1‐day consumption of all liquids was 1628 mL, providing 479 kcal of energy, with 390 mL as non‐caloric drinking water. Caloric density varied widely according to beverage group. The mean contribution of sweetened drinks was 428±237 kcal, representing 20.2% of the total daily energy intake. There were no significant differences in the pattern of drinks consumption between boys and girls. The most common beverage packaging was plastic bottles and Tetra Pak® cartons. The unit price by retail presentation ranged from Q.0.40 to 21.00. ($0.05 to 2.76 USD). Conclusions Pictorial recording of diet is a promising approach for child nutrition. Carbonated soda beverages were not the major sweetened drink in this sample, but the calories from all sugar‐containing drinks constitute a fifth of the reported energy for the single‐day records.