A long-term follow-up study of sugar sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts,andrefined sugar consumption among preschoolers aged 2 to 5 in Taiwan

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts among pre-school children and estimate the intake of refined sugar among children aged 2 to 5 by a prospective cohort. Methods: Total 301 infants were followed up annually to the age of 5 (n=132). The intake of refined sugar is calculated by using 24-hour recalls. Estimated percentages of refined sugar in various food products are used in order to obtain the average daily intakes. Results: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increased with age. "Flavored and fermented milk" contributed to the highest percentage among children aged 2-5, while the "whole grains drinks" and "tea drinks" showed an increasing trend over the years and the "tea drinks" increased its consumption sharply. For snacks and desserts, "biscuits" contributed the highest percentage among children aged 2 to 4, while "Chinese sweet soup" showed an upward trend over the years with the highest percentage among children aged 5. The estimated refined sugar consumption was 13 ± 12g, 19 ± 16g, 32 ± 18g, 29 ± 20g (p for trend<0.01), energy intake from refined sugar was 5%, 6%, 9% and 8% among children aged 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Conclusions: Over one-third of 5-year old children had over 10% of their caloric intakes from refined sugar. The caffeine in tea may not be suitable for young children. Proper eating habits and a balanced diet could facilitate the normal growth and development of healthy children. (Taiwan J Public Health. 2013;32(4):346-357).