The Effect of City-Level Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Longitudinal HbA1c and Incident Diabetes in Adults With Prediabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Prediabetes, which is a condition characterized by higher-than-normal blood glucose levels that are under the threshold for diabetes, impacts over one-third of U.S. adults. Excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a proposed policy intervention to lower population consumption of SSBs and generate revenue to support health-related programs, thus potentially delaying or preventing the development of diabetes in individuals with prediabetes. We leveraged data from Kaiser Permanente in California to examine the impact of SSB taxes in California on individual-level mean HbA1c levels and rates of incident diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We compared two outcomes, mean HbA1c levels and rates of incident diabetes, among a matched cohort of adults with prediabetes who lived and did not live in SSB excise tax cities, using outcomes collected in the 6 years prior and 4 years following SSB tax implementation. We used multivariable linear mixed effects models to analyze longitudinal mean HbA1c and discrete-time survival models for incident diabetes. RESULTS: We included 68,658 adults in the analysis. In adjusted models, longitudinal mean HbA1c (percent) was 0.007 (95% CI 0.002, 0.011) units higher in the tax cities compared with controls; while the estimated difference was statistically significant, it was not clinically significant (HbA1c < 0.5%). There was no significant difference in the risk of incident diabetes between individuals living in tax and control cities. CONCLUSIONS: We found no clinically significant association between SSB taxes and either longitudinal mean HbA1c or incident diabetes among adults with prediabetes in the 4 years following SSB tax implementation.

Student Opposition to University Pouring Rights Contracts.

Introduction: The majority of large public universities have exclusive pouring rights contracts with beverage companies that produce and market sugar-sweetened beverages. Pouring rights contracts contain provisions that conflict with recommendations from major public health organizations that institutions reduce sugar-sweetened beverage availability, marketing, and consumption. This study assessed the following among students at 3 public universities: student perception of pouring rights contracts (the extent to which they favored or opposed pouring rights contracts), the association between student socioeconomic characteristics and perception of pouring rights contracts, student estimates of pouring rights contract revenue, and the association between student pouring rights contract revenue estimates and perception of pouring rights contracts. To contextualize results, actual pouring rights contract revenue as a percentage of total revenues was estimated. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted among a convenience sample of 1,311 undergraduate sugar-sweetened beverages-consuming students recruited from 3 large and diverse public universities in Northern California. On an online questionnaire, undergraduate students indicated the extent to which they favored or opposed pouring rights contracts on a 10-point scale (oppose=1-5, favor=6-10) and provided a numeric estimate of the percentage of total university revenue they thought their university's pouring rights contract generated. Regression models were used to analyze differences in perception of pouring rights contracts by student socioeconomic characteristics and estimates of university revenues generated by pouring rights contracts. In addition, pouring rights contracts and financial reports were obtained from the 3 universities to estimate actual pouring rights contract revenue as a percentage of total revenues. Survey data were collected between August and November 2018 and analyzed in August 2022. Results: A large majority of students (81%) opposed pouring rights contracts, and the opposition did not significantly differ by student socioeconomic characteristics, including by levels of food security, need-based financial aid, participation in federal food assistance or healthcare programs, parental education, or parental income (all ps>0.14). The median student estimate for pouring rights contract revenue as a percentage of total university revenue was 10%. In contrast, the estimated actual annual revenue generated from the pouring rights contracts ranged from 0.01% to 0.04% at these schools. Revenue estimates were not significantly associated with participants' opposition or favoring of pouring rights contracts (p=0.65). Conclusions: A large majority of students opposed pouring rights contracts, and this opposition was similar regardless of student socioeconomic characteristics or student estimates of pouring rights contract revenues. Students markedly overestimated (by >100-1,000-fold) the percentage of university revenue that came from pouring rights contracts. University administration should consider student views on pouring rights contracts when deciding whether to exit or continue with pouring rights contracts.

Toddler milk: a scoping review of research on consumption, perceptions, and marketing practices.

Toddler milk is an ultra-processed beverage consisting primarily of powdered milk, caloric sweeteners, and vegetable oil. Pediatric health authorities do not support the use of toddler milk, and emerging evidence suggests that toddler-milk marketing practices may mislead consumers. However, studies have not synthesized the extent of toddler-milk marketing practices or how these practices affect parents' decisions about whether to serve toddler milk. We aimed to summarize the literature about toddler milk to identify what is known about: (1) parents' toddler-milk purchasing and feeding behaviors, (2) toddler-milk marketing, and (3) how marketing practices influence parents' beliefs and perceptions about toddler milk. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), we systematically searched 8 databases (PubMed, APA PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Central, Embase, CINAHL, Communication & Mass Media Complete, and Business Source Premier). We identified 45 articles about toddler milk. Studies were conducted in 25 countries across 6 continents. Five types of findings emerged: (1) consumption and feeding behaviors, (2) demographic correlates of toddler-milk purchasing and consumption, (3) misperceptions and beliefs, (4) increased sales, and (5) increased marketing and responses to marketing. The included articles suggested that toddler-milk sales are growing rapidly worldwide. Findings also revealed that toddler-milk packages (eg, labels, branding) resemble infant formula packages and that toddler-milk marketing practices may indirectly advertise infant formula. Purchasing, serving, and consumption of toddler milk were higher in Black and Hispanic populations than in non-Hispanic White populations, and parents with higher educational attainment and income were more likely to offer toddler milk to their children. Findings suggest a need for policies to prevent cross-marketing of toddler milk and infant formula, reduce provision of toddler milk to infants and toddlers, and prevent caregivers from being misled about toddler-milk healthfulness.

Environmental-, Climate-, and Health-Related Dietary Motivations Are Associated With Higher Diet Quality in a National Sample of US Adults With Lower Incomes.

BACKGROUND: Plant-based diets can have co-benefits for human and planetary health. Associations between environmental, climate, and health concerns and dietary intake in US adults are understudied, particularly in underserved populations. OBJECTIVE: The study objectives were to assess how dietary choices motivated by the environment, climate, and health vary by sociodemographic characteristics and how they relate to diet quality and intake frequency of different food groups in US adults with lower incomes. DESIGN: The study design was cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: A web-based survey was fielded in December 2022 to 1,798 US adults with lower incomes (<250% of federal poverty guidelines). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Environmental-, climate-, and health-related dietary motivations and diet quality and dietary food group intake frequency were assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Differences in mean dietary outcomes and dietary motivation ratings by sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Associations between dietary motivations and diet quality scores and dietary intake frequency were examined using generalized linear models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates. RESULTS: Younger adults, women, nonbinary people, racial and ethnic minoritized groups, and adults experiencing food insecurity reported higher environmental and climate dietary motivations; older adults, higher-income adults, and food-secure adults reported higher health motivations. Agreeing with environmental- (ß = 2.28, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.47), climate- (ß = 2.15, 95% CI 0.90 to 3.40), and health-related (ß = 5.27, 95% CI 3.98 to 6.56) dietary motivations was associated with higher diet quality scores compared with those with neutral rankings. Similarly, agreement with environmental-, climate-, and health-related dietary motivations was associated with higher intake frequency of fish, fruits and vegetables, and plant proteins, but not with red and processed meat intake frequency. Of several climate-mitigation behaviors presented, participants perceived meat reduction as least effective (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Environment, climate, and health were positive motivators of several healthy dietary choices in US adults with lower incomes. Such motivators did not translate to lower intake frequency of red and processed meat.

Framing and Themes of the City of Boulder's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Coverage in the Local News From 2016 to 2018.

The objective of this paper was to analyze the contents of opinion and news articles related to the city of Boulder's sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax campaigns in Boulder's only local newspaper. We searched for articles in The Daily Camera related to the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, published from January 2016 to December 2018. We conducted a content analysis, categorizing 152 relevant articles by type, authors, and frames (pro, anti, neutral) on the basis of the preponderance of arguments, themes, and use of evidence. The majority of articles were opinion (n=92) versus news (n=60). Most articles were pro-frame (n=78) versus anti-frame (n=37) and neutral frame (n=37). Pro-frame articles were more likely to cite evidence in support of arguments or the professional credentials/experience of the authors. The most frequent pro-frame themes were health, benefits of the revenues, equity, and unethical tactics of the industry. The most frequent anti-frame themes were economic consequences, claims that the measure was confusing, government overreach, and purported ineffectiveness of taxes. The leveraging of local issues by the beverage industry was observed. Themes identified in the news regarding Boulder's successful sugar-sweetened beverage tax may appear in future sugar-sweetened beverage policy campaigns and should be anticipated.

Neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics and healthfulness of store checkouts in Northern California.

Placement of products at food store checkouts has been shown to trigger impulse purchases and child purchasing requests. Therefore, food companies pay substantial amounts of money to ensure their products are placed at checkout, and these products are mostly unhealthy (e.g., sugar-sweetened beverages [SSBs], candy, chips). To improve the healthfulness of store environments, Berkeley, CA, U.S. became the first jurisdiction globally to implement a healthy checkout policy. This study examined associations between store neighborhood characteristics and healthfulness of foods and beverages offered at checkout to understand the potential for healthy checkout policies, such as Berkeley's healthy checkout ordinance (HCO), to promote equitable food environments. Data on a near census of food and beverage facings (n = 26,758) at sampled checkouts were collected from 102 food stores (supermarkets, grocery stores, drugstores, dollar stores, specialty food stores, and mass merchandisers) across four Northern California cities (Berkeley, Oakland, Davis, and Sacramento) in February 2021. Bivariate regression analyses revealed that neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status (SES) and higher Black and Hispanic residential composition had a higher prevalence of foods and beverages that did not meet HCO standards, including associations with a higher prevalence of sweets, higher prevalence of SSBs, and/or lower prevalence of healthy foods at checkout. Findings suggest that the checkout environment may be one of many contributors to diet-related health disparities. Additionally, healthy checkout policies may have the potential to increase nutrition equity by improving food environments across neighborhoods and especially in areas with lower SES and higher Black and Hispanic composition.

Home-prepared meals among college students at-risk for food insecurity: A mixed-methods study.

The ability to prepare meals at home is an important life skill with potential to improve dietary quality and reduce costs and thus may be particularly important for college students with food insecurity. However, heavy time demands, limited financial resources, and therefore other barriers such as lack of motivation to follow a healthy diet may constrain meal preparation skills. To gain greater insight into this issue, we conducted a mixed-methods study. The quantitative component assessed relationships among food security, motivation, and meal preparation skills. The qualitative component used focus groups to more closely consider college students' perceptions, values, and barriers surrounding preparing meals at home, including current practices, desired future practices, and the ways in which the campus could support their efforts. The survey (n = 226) assessed food security, meal preparation skills, and motivation (i.e., perceived ability and willingness) to consume a healthy diet. Ten focus groups (n = 60) discussed food choice, meal preparation practices, and ways in which the campus could help students develop meal preparation skills. Students with food insecurity had lower meal preparation skills and lower perceived ability to consume a healthy diet. However, a) willingness to consume a healthy diet and b) the impact of both willingness and perceived ability did not differ by food security status. Focus group data indicated that in-person and online cooking classes, information cards in the food pantry, and incentives (e.g., kitchen equipment and vouchers from local grocery stores) were popular ideas for improving home-meal preparation. A greater understanding of meal preparation skills and their interconnectedness to food choice and the campus environment may inform effective ways to support the ability and willingness of college students with food insecurity to prepare meals at home.

Online RCT of Icon Added-Sugar Warning Labels for Restaurant Menus.

INTRODUCTION: To reduce added-sugar consumption, jurisdictions are considering requiring restaurant menu labels to identify high-added-sugar items. This study examined the impacts of added-sugar warning labels on hypothetical choices, knowledge of items' added-sugar content, and perceptions of high-added-sugar items. STUDY DESIGN: The design was an online RCT. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: National sample of adults (N=15,496) was recruited to approximate the U.S. distribution of sex, age, race, ethnicity, and education. INTERVENTION: Participants viewed fast-food and full-service restaurant menus displaying no warning labels (control) or icon-only added-sugar warning labels next to high-added-sugar items (containing >50% of the daily recommended limit). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were hypothetical ordering of ≥1 high-added-sugar item, grams of added sugar ordered, and knowledge of items' added-sugar content assessed in 2021 and analyzed in 2021-2022. RESULTS: Warning labels reduced the relative probability of ordering ≥1 high-added-sugar item by 2.2% (probability ratio=0.978, 95% CI=0.964, 0.992; p=0.002); improved knowledge of added-sugar content (p<0.001); and led to a nonstatistically significant reduction of 1.5 grams of added sugar ordered, averaged across menus (p=0.07). The label modestly reduced the appeal of high-added-sugar items, increased perceptions that consuming such items often will increase Type 2 diabetes risk, increased perceived control over eating decisions, and increased injunctive norms about limiting consumption of high-added-sugar items (ps<0.001). However, in the warning condition, only 47% noticed nutrition labels, and 21% recalled seeing added-sugar labels. When restricting the warning condition to those who noticed the label, the result for grams of added sugar ordered was significant, with the warning condition ordering 4.9 fewer grams than the controls (95% CI= -7.3, -2.5; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Added-sugar warning labels reduced the probability of ordering a high-added-sugar menu item and increased participants' knowledge of whether items contained >50% of the daily value for added sugar. The modest magnitudes of effects may be due to low label noticeability. Menu warning labels should be designed for noticeability. REGISTRATION: This study was registered at AsPredicted.org #65655.

Food and Beverage Environments at Store Checkouts in California: Mostly Unhealthy Products.

Background: As the only place in a store where customers must pass through, checkouts may be especially influential over purchases. Research is needed to understand the healthfulness of checkout environments. Objectives: The objective of this study was to classify checkout product facings in California food stores. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 102 stores, including chains (dollar stores, drugstores, specialty food stores, supermarkets, and mass merchandisers) and independent supermarkets and grocery stores were sampled from 4 northern California cities. Observational assessments of each checkout product facing were conducted in February 2021 using the Store CheckOUt Tool. Facings were classified by category and healthfulness, defined by meeting Berkeley's Healthy Checkout Ordinance's healthy checkout standards: unsweetened beverages and specific foods containing ≤5 g added sugar and ≤200 mg sodium per serving. Log binomial regressions compared healthfulness by store and checkout characteristics. Results: Of 26,758 food and beverage checkout facings, the most common categories were candy (31%), gum (18%), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; 11%), salty snacks (9%), mints (7%), and sweets (6%). Water represented only 3% and fruits and vegetables 1% of these facings. Only 30% of food and beverage facings met Berkeley's healthy checkout standards, with 70% not meeting the standards. The percentage of food and beverage facings not meeting the standards was even higher (89%) among snack-sized packages (≤2 servings/package). Compared with chain supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and specialty food stores (34%-36%), dollar and independent grocery stores had a lower percentage of food and beverage facings that met the healthy checkout standards (18%-20%; P < 0.05). Compared with lane and register areas (35%), endcaps and snaking sections within checkouts had fewer food and beverage facings that met the standards (21%-23%; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Most foods and beverages at checkout consisted of candy, SSBs, salty snacks, and sweets and failed to meet the healthy checkout standards.Curr Dev Nutr 2023;xx:xx.

Associations between campus climate perceptions and food insecurity among undergraduates at a public university.

Objective:Food-insecure college students have expressed frustration toward their academic institution for failing to meet students' needs. However, it is unclear whether campus climate perceptions are related to food insecurity status. We examined the association between campus climate surrounding health and food insecurity status among college students.Participants:Participants were undergraduate students (n = 1378) enrolled at a public university.Methods:We used secondary data from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA-II) with campus-specific measures of campus climate and food insecurity status.Results:Findings showed that students with less favorable views of campus climate were between 1.85 and 1.74 times more likely to be food insecure, even after adjusting for demographics and financial hardship.Conclusions:Future research is needed to better understand how students' campus climate perceptions can inform programs that effectively address food insecurity on college campuses.

Environmental and Climate Impact Perceptions in University Students: Sustainability Motivations and Perceptions Correspond With Lower Red Meat Intake.

BACKGROUND: Red meat production is a leading contributor to food-related greenhouse gas emissions. Decreasing red meat intake can mitigate climate change and lower risk of diet-related diseases. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to evaluate university students' perceptions of climate-friendly behaviors and to assess how these perceptions are associated with the frequency of red meat intake. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey SETTING: A large, public California university and a large, public Michigan university PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate students from a California university (n = 721) and a Michigan university (n = 568) MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceptions of climate-friendly behaviors and frequency of red meat intake STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Differences in perceptions by student characteristics were compared using t-tests and one-way analysis of variance. Associations between perceptions of climate-friendly behaviors and red meat intake frequency were examined using generalized linear models, adjusted for sociodemographic covariates. RESULTS: Across both universities, students rated reducing meat intake as less effective than other climate change mitigation behaviors such as recycling and using less plastic. However, students who reported (1) making food and beverage choices that "are good for the environment," (2) making food and beverage choices that "reduce climate change impact," or (3) agreeing that "eating less meat is an effective way to combat climate change" reported 10% to 25% lower frequency of red meat intake for each point higher on the agreement scale. In contrast, making food and beverage choices motivated by health was not associated with frequency of red meat intake. CONCLUSIONS: Sustainability motivations and perceptions of meat's climate impact were associated with lower frequency of red meat intake, despite the overall moderate rating of eating less meat as an effective climate change mitigator. This research lends support to behavioral interventions, public education campaigns, and policies aiming to reinforce sustainable dietary patterns in young adults.

Effect of Climate Change Impact Menu Labels on Fast Food Ordering Choices Among US Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There is increasing interest in strategies to encourage more environmentally sustainable food choices in US restaurants through the use of menu labels that indicate an item's potential impact on the world's climate. Data are lacking on the ideal design of such labels to effectively encourage sustainable choices. Objective: To test the effects of positive and negative climate impact menu labels on the environmental sustainability and healthfulness of food choices compared with a control label. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial used an online national US survey conducted March 30 to April 13, 2022, among a nationally representative sample of adults (aged ≥18 years) from the AmeriSpeak panel. Data were analyzed in June to October 2022. Interventions: Participants were shown a fast food menu and prompted to select 1 item they would like to order for dinner. Participants were randomized to view menus with 1 of 3 label conditions: a quick response code label on all items (control group); green low-climate impact label on chicken, fish, or vegetarian items (positive framing); or red high-climate impact label on red meat items (negative framing). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was an indicator of selecting a sustainable item (ie, one without red meat). Secondary outcomes included participant health perceptions of the selected item and the Nutrition Profile Index (NPI) score of healthfulness. Results: Among 5049 participants (2444 female [51.6%]; 789 aged 18-29 years [20.3%], 1532 aged 30-44 years [25.9%], 1089 aged 45-59 years [23.5%], and 1639 aged ≥60 years [30.4%]; 142 Asian [5.3%], 611 Black [12.1%], and 3197 White [63.3%]; 866 Hispanic [17.2%]), high- and low-climate impact labels were effective at encouraging sustainable selections from the menu. Compared with participants in the control group, 23.5% more participants (95% CI, 13.7%-34.0%; P < .001) selected a sustainable menu item when menus displayed high-climate impact labels and 9.9% more participants (95% CI, 1.0%-19.8%; P = .03) selected a sustainable menu item when menus displayed low-climate impact labels. Across experimental conditions, participants who selected a sustainable item rated their order as healthier than those who selected an unsustainable item, according to mean perceived healthfulness score (control label: 3.4 points; 95% CI, 3.2-3.5 points vs 2.5 points; 95% CI, 2.4-2.6 points; P < .001; low-impact label: 3.7 points; 95% CI, 3.5-3.8 points vs 2.6 points; 95% CI, 2.5-2.7 points; P < .001; high-impact label: 3.5 points; 95% CI, 3.3-3.6 points vs 2.7 points; 95% CI, 2.6-2.9 points; P < .001). Participants in the high-climate impact label group selected healthier items according to mean (SE) NPI score (54.3 [0.2] points) compared with those in the low-climate impact (53.2 [0.2] points; P < .001) and control (52.9 [0.3] points; P < .001) label groups. Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial's findings suggest that climate impact menu labels, especially negatively framed labels highlighting high-climate impact items (ie, red meat), were an effective strategy to reduce red meat selections and encourage more sustainable choices. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05482204.

Socioeconomic disparities in outdoor branded advertising in San Francisco and Oakland, California.

Advertising exerts a powerful influence over consumer decision-making, and disproportionate marketing for unhealthy products may contribute to health inequities. The objective of this study was to examine socioeconomic and racial and ethnic disparities in outdoor branded advertising for products harmful to health in San Francisco and Oakland, CA. We collected cross-sectional data on outdoor advertising from 372 blocks with ≥ 1 residential or mixed-residential parcel in SF and Oakland in 2018-2019. Blocks were randomly sampled by city, land use, majority vs. non-majority Black and/or Hispanic composition, and upper and lower tertiles of household income. Advertisements were coded by product, healthfulness, and branding. Exposure variables were neighborhood household median income and percent of residents who were Hispanic of any race, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White. The primary outcome variable was block-level dichotomous presence of any unhealthy branded advertisement for food, beverage, alcohol, or tobacco. Analyses were unadjusted and adjusted for land use and number of total advertisements on each block. Each additional $10,000 in neighborhood household median income was associated with an 11% lower adjusted odds of having any unhealthy branded advertisements on the block (95%CI: 0.80-0.99; P = 0.03). There were no significant associations between neighborhood racial and ethnic composition and presence of unhealthy branded advertisements, but with each 10% higher neighborhood composition of Hispanic residents, there was a borderline significant higher presence of unhealthy branded advertisements (OR = 1.23; 95%CI: 1.00-1.51; P = 0.05). Results indicate that low-income neighborhoods were disproportionately exposed to outdoor branded advertisements for unhealthy products.

Perceived effectiveness of added-sugar warning label designs for U.S. restaurant menus: An online randomized controlled trial.

Added-sugar consumption in the U.S. exceeds recommended limits. Policymakers are considering requiring restaurants to use menu warning labels to indicate items high in added sugar. We sought to determine whether icon-only and icon-plus-text added-sugar menu labels were (1) perceived as more effective at potentially reducing consumption of items high in added sugar and (2) increased knowledge of menu items' added-sugar content relative to control labels, and if effects differed by label design. A national sample of U.S. adults (n = 1327) participated in an online randomized experiment. Participants viewed menu items with either a control label, 1 of 6 icon-only labels, or 1 of 18 icon-plus-text labels with 3 text variations. For their assigned label, participants provided ratings of perceived message effectiveness (a validated scale of a message's potential to change behavior). Participants were also asked to classify menu items by their added-sugar content. The icon-only and icon-plus-text labels were perceived as more effective than the control label (means: 3.7 and 3.7 vs. 3.1, respectively, on a 5-point scale; p < 0.001). The icon-only and icon-plus-text groups each correctly classified 71% of menu items by added-sugar content vs. 56% in the control group (p < 0.001). All icons and text variations were perceived as similarly effective. In conclusion, relative to a control label, icon-only and icon-plus-text added-sugar menu labels were perceived as effective and helped consumers identify items high in added sugar. Menu warning labels may be a promising strategy for reducing added-sugar consumption from restaurants, but research on behavioral effects in real-world settings is needed. Clinical Trials Identifier:NCT04637412.

Restaurant dining during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults with low-income in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread non-essential business closures in the U.S., which may have disproportionately impacted food consumption in lower-income communities, in part due to reduced access to healthy and affordable foods, as well as occupations that may have required working outside the home. The aims of this study were to examine restaurant dining behaviors (including drive-through, takeout, and delivery) at fast-food and non-fast-food (i.e., fast casual and full-service ['other']) restaurants and the impact on diet quality among racially/ethnically diverse low-income adults during the early months of the pandemic. Participants completed an online survey using CloudResearch regarding restaurant dining behaviors in the past week (during June 2020) and during a typical week prior to the pandemic. Diet quality was measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS). Surveys from 1,756 low-income adults (incomes <250% of the Federal Poverty Level) were analyzed using chi-squared tests to examine differences in demographic characteristics among those dining at restaurants during the pandemic, as well as to examine differences in dining frequency compared with prior to COVID-19. Negative binomial regressions were used to examine the mean frequency of eating food from fast-food and other restaurants, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. This study found reductions in fast-food and other restaurant dining compared with prior to COVID-19, although overall restaurant consumption remained high with over half of participants reporting fast-food consumption in the week prior (average consumption of twice per week). Greater fast-food consumption was associated with poorer diet quality. In conclusion, while fast-food consumption was slightly lower during the pandemic, the overall high levels observed among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults remains concerning, highlighting the continued need for initiatives and policies to encourage greater access to and consumption of affordable and healthier foods.

A qualitative study on retailer experiences with Philadelphia's sweetened beverage tax.

The Philadelphia Beverage Tax was implemented on January 1, 2017 for some sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages. Few qualitative studies have assessed retailers' reactions to beverage taxes. We aimed to understand food retailers' knowledge and attitudes about the Philadelphia beverage tax and how they responded to it with the goal of informing the framing and implementation of beverage taxes in other interested jurisdictions. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with retailers within Philadelphia before (n = 15) and after (n = 11) the Philadelphia Beverage Tax was implemented. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants with different store locations and customer base characteristics. A priori codes based on the interview guide were used to organize data, and analytic memos were developed and reviewed to identify themes that emerged within the data using a grounded theory approach. Five themes emerged: (a) concerns about the tax purpose, amount, and use of revenue; (b) concerns about the tax's impact on finances and business operations; (c) business strategies implemented to lessen financial burden of the tax; (d) perceptions of customer responses to the tax based on income; and (e) confusion around tax implementation. Results highlighted ways to improve implementation. Retailers in Philadelphia implemented various strategies to offset negative effects on taxed beverage sales. Cities implementing a beverage tax would benefit from investment in educational outreach and support to business owners prior to tax implementation and ensure transparency in how tax revenue will be spent.

Prior research has shown that while retailers worry about the impact a beverage tax would have on sales, many pass the tax onto consumers as a strategy to mitigate loss. This paper uncovers additional retailer concerns that can inform the framing and implementation of beverage taxes in other interested jurisdictions. Retailers especially desired transparency in governmental tax revenue spending. Increased investment in educational outreach to retailers about the tax may help address misconceptions and improve implementation.

Text Messages to Curb Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption among Pregnant Women and Mothers: A Mobile Health Randomized Controlled Trial.

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in childhood obesity in the United States (U.S.) originate in early life. Maternal sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is an early life risk factor for later offspring obesity. The goal of this study was to test the effects of policy-relevant messages delivered by text messages mobile devices (mHealth) on maternal SSB consumption. In this three-arm 1-month randomized controlled trial (RCT), pregnant women or mothers of infants in predominantly Hispanic/Latino New York City neighborhoods were randomized to receive one of three text message sets: graphic beverage health warning labels, beverage sugar content information, or attention control. The main outcome was change in maternal self-reporting of average daily SSB consumption from baseline to one month. Among 262 participants, maternal SSB consumption declined over the 1-month period in all three arms. No intervention effect was detected in primary analyses. In sensitivity analyses accounting for outliers, graphic health warning labels reduced maternal SSB consumption by 28 kcal daily (95% CI: -56, -1). In this mHealth RCT among pregnant women and mothers of infants, graphic health warning labels and beverage sugar content information did not reduce maternal SSB consumption.

The Potential for Healthy Checkout Policies to Advance Nutrition Equity.

BACKGROUND: As the only place in a store where all customers must pass through and wait, the checkout lane may be particularly influential over consumer purchases. Because most foods and beverages sold at checkout are unhealthy (e.g., candy, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and salty snacks), policymakers and advocates have expressed growing interest in healthy checkout policies. To understand the extent to which such policies could improve nutrition equity, we assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of purchasing items found at (i.e., from) checkout. METHODS: We assessed self-reported checkout purchasing and sociodemographic characteristics in a national convenience sample of adults (n = 10,348) completing an online survey in 2021. RESULTS: Over one third (36%) of participants reported purchasing foods or drinks from checkout during their last grocery shopping trip. Purchasing items from checkout was more common among men; adults < 55 years of age; low-income consumers; Hispanic, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native, and non-Hispanic Black consumers; those with a graduate or professional degree; parents; and consumers diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Purchasing foods or beverages from store checkouts is common and more prevalent among low-income and Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black consumers. These results suggest that healthy checkout policies have the potential to improve nutrition equity.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Perceptions, and Disparities in Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) perceptions-knowledge, attitudes, and norms and media literacy-and beverage consumption, and to identify differences in beverage consumption and SSB perceptions by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Diverse California school district. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 992 fifth-grade (elementary), seventh-grade (middle), and ninth-12th-grade (high school) students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Questionnaire-assessed continuous beverage consumption and perceptions. ANALYSIS: Linear regression adjusting for school, grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and free and reduced-price meal (FRPM) eligibility. RESULTS: Knowledge, attitudes, and norms, and media literacy items were associated with SSB consumption in expected directions (P < 0.05). Among elementary students, FRPM-eligible and Black students had higher SSB consumption (P < 0.01). In middle/high school, non-Hispanic White students consumed fewer SSBs than all other racial/ethnic groups (P < 0.01). There were differences in SSB-related perceptions by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (eg, Black students perceived sugary drinks as less unhealthy); Black, Hispanic, and FRPM-eligible students expressed less distrust of food/beverage advertisements; and Black, Hispanic, Asian, multirace, and FRPM-eligible students perceived more frequent SSB consumption among their peers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Sugar-sweetened beverage perceptions were associated with SSB consumption. There were racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in SSB consumption and perceptions. Sugar-sweetened beverage perceptions and related social and commercial determinants like marketing may be useful targets for reducing SSB consumption.