Sixteen-year trends in adolescent consumption of sugar-sweetened soda in six European countries with a soda tax and comparison countries: a repeated cross-sectional survey analysis. Issue 3 (2nd March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chatelan, Angeline; Rouche, Manon; Dzielska, Anna; Fismen, Anne-Siri; Kelly, Colette; Pedroni, Camille; Desbouys, Lucille; Castetbon, Katia
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 26:Issue 3(2023)
• Page Start: 519
• Page End: 530
• Publication Date: 2023-03-02
• Subjects: Sugary drink tax -- Sugar-sweetened beverages -- Sugar-sweetened soda -- Trends -- Adolescents -- HBSC study -- FFQ; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980022002361
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To examine changes in the proportions of daily, weekly and occasional consumers of sugar-sweetened soda in six European countries that introduced/updated a tax between 2001–2002 and 2017–2018 and in neighbouring comparison countries (without a tax). Design: Repeated cross-sectional surveys. Setting: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, spanning five survey years (school years 2001–2002 to 2017–2018). Participants: Nationally representative samples of 13-year- and 15-year-old adolescents ( n 236 623, 51·0 % girls). Results: Tax sizes (€0·02/l to €0·22/l) and pre-tax soda consumption were heterogeneous across countries. Prevalence of daily soda consumption reduced in the survey year following tax implementation in Latvia (from 17·9 to 11·9 %, P = 0·01), Finland (4·2 to 2·5 %, P = 0·001), Belgium (35·1 to 27·8 %, P < 0·001) and Portugal (17·4 to 14·9 %, P = 0·02), but not in Hungary (29·8 to 31·3 %, P = 0·47) or France (29·4 to 28·2 %, P = 0·27). However, reductions were similar (Finland) or smaller (Belgium, Portugal) than those in the comparison countries, except in Latvia where the reduction was larger ( P interaction < 0·001). Prevalence of weekly soda consumption remained stable (Finland, Hungary and France) or increased (Latvia, Belgium); only Portugal experienced a decline ( P < 0·001), which was larger than in the comparison country ( P interaction < 0·001). Prevalence of occasional soda consumption (<1x/week) did not rise after implementation of the tax in Latvia, Finland, Hungary, France or Belgium, or the rise was similar to the comparison country in Portugal ( P interaction = 0·15). Conclusions: Countries with a soda tax did not experience larger beneficial changes in post-tax adolescent consumption frequency of soda than comparison countries. Further studies, with different taxation types, are needed in the adolescent population.