Associations between household food environment and daily intake of regular and diet soft drinks per BMI status of European children: Feel4Diabetes Study

Abstract

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate how the availability of food in the household environment is associated with a daily intake of regular and diet soft drinks in European children, considering BMI status. This cross‐sectional study utilised baseline data from 12 211 schoolchildren participating in the Feel4Diabetes European lifestyle modification intervention. Sociodemographics, soft drink intake and household food availability data were collected using parent‐completed questionnaires. Anthropometry was recorded, and children were classified into BMI categories according to the International Obesity Task Force cut‐offs. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis controlled for children's sex, mother's BMI, and educational level, frequent household availability of fruit juice (sugar added), regular soft drinks and salty snacks compared to less frequent were positively associated with daily regular soft drink intake in children, regardless of BMI group (ORs range 1.59–6.69). Conversely, frequent availability of fruit juice (no added sugar) was inversely related to regular soft drink intake in both BMI groups, as was the availability of fresh fruit in the overweight/obesity group, and the availability of diet soft drinks in the underweight/normal‐weight (ORs range 0.31–0.54). In conclusion, habitual household availability of selected energy‐dense foods/beverages was positively associated with a daily intake of regular soft drinks in European children, regardless of BMI status. Contrastingly, household availability of fresh fruit, fruit juice (no added sugar) and diet soft drinks were inversely associated with regular soft drink intake. Programmes focusing on reducing children's soft drink intake should consider reducing the availability of sugar‐added beverages in the household food environment and encouraging water consumption, as a practical, healthier alternative suggestion.