A qualitative study of adolescent views of sugar sweetened beverage taxes

A qualitative study was used to investigate adolescents’ perceptions of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes using the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions). A secondary purpose was to explore the role of habit in SSB consumption. Three focus groups were conducted at a suburban Detroit middle school with 22 students. Findings suggest that students understand short-and long-term advantages and disadvantages of sugarsweetened beverages and personal and economic impacts of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax, though the economics of a tax was confusing for them. Students stated various factors that would make reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption difficult including habit and environment. Some students reported that they would decrease their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages if 20% taxes were implemented. Sugar- sweetened beverage taxes could be used, in combination with other strategies, to reduce the high level of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adolescents