Low Healthy Diet Self-Efficacy and Intentions Associated with High Sweet Snacks and Sugar Sweetened Beverages Consumption among African American Adolescents Recruited from Low-Income Neighborhoods in Baltimore

Abstract

Psychosocial factors may influence consumption patterns of sweet snacks and sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), which are potential risk factors for obesity among African American (AA) adolescents. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models to examine cross-sectional associations among psychosocial factors, sweet snacks and SSB consumption, and BMI z-scores in 437 AA adolescents aged 9–14 years living in low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore City, U.S.A. Mean caloric intake from sugar was 130.64 ± 88.37 kcal. Higher sweet snacks consumption was significantly associated with lower self-efficacy (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.93) and lower food intentions scores (0.43; 0.30 to 0.61). Higher SSB consumption was associated with lower outcome expectancies (aOR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.96–0.99), lower self-efficacy (0.98; 0.96 to 0.99), and lower food intentions (0.91; 0.87 to 0.95). No significant association was found between SSB and sweet snacks consumption and weight status. Psychosocial factors may play a role in sugar consumption behaviors among AA adolescents in low-income neighborhoods. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of causal mechanisms of this association.