Soda and sugar sweetened drinks have a bad press, but is there really a link between drinking soda and behavioural problems in children?
Research has shown that preschool-age children who have drunk lots of soda or soft drinks daily are likely to show greater aggressive or introverted behaviour. If children drink over four soft drinks a day, they are twice as likely to be more destructive and physically attack others which has been the surprise in the findings.
Researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the University of Vermont and the Harvard School of Public Health looked at nearly 3,000 children around 5 years old who were part of the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. This was a prospective birth cohort that followed mother-child pairs in 20 large US cities. Using diaries, mothers recorded the soft drink consumption of their children and described responses in a Child Behaviour Checklist.
The data was adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic factors but still showed significance between soft drink consumption and levels of increased aggression and attention. The general conclusion was that removing soft drinks for consumption might improve behaviour. There was no suggestion as to which factors in the soft drinks were responsible. The American Beverage Association (www.ameribev.org) released a statement on the 16th August 2013 in response, refuting the claims based on the quality of the conclusions drawn from the research, and especially the link between consumption and problem behaviours in the children.
Clearly more research is needed. With the ready availability of soda drinks, targeted at children, it would seem reasonable to assume that consumption will remain high. If there is a link between drinking soda and behavioural problems, we owe it to our children to learn more so tat we can respond appropriately.
American Beverage Association (ABA) (2013) Beverage Industry Responds to Columbia University Study. Statement of 16th August 2013 (http://www.ameribev.org/news-media/news-releases-statements/more/313/)
Suglia, S.F., Solnick, S., Hemenway, D. (2013) Soft Drinks Consumption Is Associated with Behaviour Problems in 5-Year-Olds. J. Pediatrics. pp.1-6 accessed 19th August 2013
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