Intake of soft drinks and sugar sweetened beverages by Colombian children and adolescents

Abstract Objectives: to describe the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages in Colombia, South America and variables associated with this consumption. Methods: based on the Food Frequency Questionnaire applied in the National Survey of the Nutritional Situation of Colombia (2010), the prevalence and frequency/day of the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages by 10,070 subjects between 5 and 17 years old was estimated. Results: the prevalence of sugar sweetened beverages consumption in subjects between 5 and 17 years old was 85.3%, and the average frequency of consumption was 0.71 times/day. The relationship between age and the prevalence of consumption displayed a J form, and the association with frequency in times/day was linear. The highest consumption occurred at 16 years of age, with a prevalence of 90.4% and an average frequency of 0.83 times/day. Overweight and obesity were not associated with consumption (p>0.05). Conclusions: the prevalence and average frequency of consumption were positively associated with age, wealth, and level of urbanism and conversely associated with education and household food security. Children with stunting have a reduced prevalence but increased frequency of consumption. The consumption of sweetened-beverages is an expression of the stage of nutritional and food transitions