A Descriptive Study of Beverage Consumption among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Public School Students in Texas

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of 5 types of beverage consumption by sociodemographic factors among 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public school students in Texas.

Methods: This study is based on secondary analyses of cross-sectional data from the 2004–2005 School Physical Activity and Nutrition study, a comprehensive surveillance study of energy balance–related behaviors and behavioral antecedents in a state-representative sample of 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public school students in Texas (N  =  23,190). Previous-day beverage consumption prevalence estimates were calculated for 5 types of beverages (i.e., fruit-flavored drinks, regular sodas, diet sodas, milk, and 100% fruit juice) by grade level, gender, ethnicity, school-level socioeconomic status, and metropolitan status. Logistic regression estimates of consumption prevalence were obtained for important sociodemographic indicators, including sex, grade, and ethnicity. Adjusted Wald tests were used to derive significance tests for sex differences in consumption, as sex emerged as a key determinant of consumption prevalence and varied systematically by type of beverage.

Results: The most commonly consumed beverage by all participants was milk. However, more than 50% of students also reported regular soda and fruit-flavored drink consumption during the previous day. Milk and fruit juice consumption showed a steady decline with grade level, while consumption of regular soda increased with grade level. By 11th grade, the prevalence of any beverage consumption, including milk and juice, was significantly greater among boys. Ethnic differences in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were most prevalent in 8th and 11th grades, with the highest estimated prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e., fruit-flavored drink and regular soda) consumption among African Americans. Differences in beverage consumption by school-level socioeconomic status and metropolitan status were small.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that a large proportion of public elementary students in Texas are consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages varies by a range of sociodemographic factors. Given the important link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity in children, these findings can be used to tailor obesity prevention efforts to specific subpopulations for the promotion of healthier beverage consumption.

• beverages
• prevalence
• children and adolescents
• cross-sectional study
• ethnically diverse sample

We would like to acknowledge the insightful comments from our peer reviewers and review of drafts of this article from the collaborative papers group of the Texas Department of State Health Services Office of Title V and Family Health and Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. Preparation of this article was made possible in part by funding by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The original study on which this article is based was made possible by a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health and Human Services Block Grant.