Background: Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a recommended strategy to promote optimal health.Objective: The objective was to d

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake during infancy predicts obesity at age 6 years. METHODS: We included 1189 children who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II in 2005–2007 and were followed up at 6 years in 2012. Children’s weight and height were measured by mothers. Obesity was defined as gender-specific BMI-for-age ≥95th percentile. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations of any SSB intake and age at SSB introduction before 12 months and mean SSB intake during ages 10 to 12 months with obesity at 6 years controlling for baseline characteristics. RESULTS: The obesity prevalence at 6 years among children who consumed SSBs during infancy was twice as high as that among non–SSB consumers (17.0% vs 8.6%). The adjusted odds of obesity at 6 years was 71% higher for any SSB intake and 92% higher for SSB introduction before 6 months compared with no SSB intake during infancy. Children who consumed SSBs ≥3 times per week during ages 10 to 12 months had twice the odds of obesity compared with those who consumed no SSBs in this period. However, among children who consumed SSBs, the odds of obesity at 6 years did not differ by age at SSB introduction during infancy or by mean weekly SSB intake during ages 10 to 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Children who consumed SSBs during infancy had higher odds of obesity at 6 years than non–SSB consumers. SSB consumption during infancy may be a risk factor for obesity in early childhood. Whether unmeasured behaviors contributed to the association is unclear.

This cross-sectional study examined associations of demographic characteristics, weight status, availability of school vending machines, and behaviora

Objective: Research is limited on whether mistrust of tap water discourages plain water intake and leads to a greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The objective of the present study was to examine demographic differences in perceptions of tap water safety and determine if these perceptions are associated with intake of SSB and plain water.Design: The study examined perceptions of tap water safety and their cross-sectional association with intake of SSB and plain water. Racial/ethnic differences in the associations of tap water perceptions with SSB and plain water intake were also examined.Setting: Nationally weighted data from the 2010 HealthStyles Survey (n 4184).Subjects: US adults aged ≥18 years.Results: Overall, 13·0 % of participants disagreed that their local tap water was safe to drink and 26·4 % of participants agreed that bottled water was safer than tap water. Both mistrust of tap water safety and favouring bottled water differed by region, age, race/ethnicity, income and education. The associations of tap water mistrust with intake of SSB and plain water were modified by race/ethnicity (P < 0·05). Non-white racial/ethnic groups who disagreed that their local tap water was safe to drink were more likely to report low intake of plain water. The odds of consuming ≥1 SSB/d among Hispanics who mistrusted their local tap water was twice that of Hispanics who did not (OR = 2·0; 95 % CI 1·2, 3·3).Conclusions: Public health efforts to promote healthy beverages should recognize the potential impact of tap water perceptions on water and SSB intake among minority populations.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake during infancy predicts SSB intake at 6 years of age. METHODS: A longitudinal cohort analysis of 1333 US children was conducted by using data from the 2005–2007 Infant Feeding Practices Study II and the 2012 Follow-Up Study at 6 years of age. The exposure variables were maternal-reported SSB intakes during infancy. The outcome variable was maternal-reported SSB intake at age 6 years. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for associations of SSB intake during infancy with consuming SSBs ≥1 time/day at 6 years old after controlling for baseline child’s and parent’s characteristics. RESULTS: Based on maternal recall, approximately one-fifth of children consumed SSBs at least 1 time/day at age 6 years. Adjusted odds of consuming SSBs at age 6 years ≥1 time/day was significantly associated with any SSB intake during infancy (aOR, 2.22 vs none), age at SSB introduction (aOR, 2.33 for age ≥6 months and 2.01 for age <6 months vs never), and mean SSB intake during age 10 to 12 months (aOR, 2.72 for 1 to <2 times/week and 2.57 for ≥3 times/week vs none). CONCLUSIONS: SSB intake during infancy significantly increased the likelihood of consuming SSBs ≥1 time/day at 6 years of age. Our findings suggest that infancy may be an important time for mothers to establish healthy beverage practices for their children and these findings can be used to inform intervention efforts to reduce SSB intake among children.