Dietary "added sugar" and overweight and obesity among multiethnic children in Hawai‛i

Abstract

The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is a public health concern. A single component of total dietary intake, such as added sugar, has been questioned as a primary factor in risk of obesity. This study aimed to examine dietary added sugar intake in Hawaii and its association with the prevalence of overweight and obesity among multiethnic children accounting for demographic and behavioral factors. Weighted two-day food records were obtained from 85, 5-to 8-year-old children, and were completed with the assistance of parents, at the baseline measure of the Pacific Kids DASH for Health (PacDASH) study. This study found that added sugar intake expressed in percentage was inversely associated with age and body mass index (BMI) status in children after accounting for sex, ethnicity, education, income, and age (for BMI). The younger age group was particularly vulnerable to diets with high added sugar intake.