title: Inconsistent associations between sweet drink intake and 2-year change in BMI among Victorian children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine whether baseline (T1) or 2-year change in sweet drink intake in children and adolescents was associated with age- and gender-standardized body mass index (BMIz) at time two (T2), 2 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 1465 children and adolescents from the comparison groups of two quasi-experimental intervention studies from Victoria, Australia were analysed. At two time points between 2003 and 2008 (mean interval: 2.2 years) height and weight were measured and sweet drink consumption (soft drink and fruit juice/cordial) was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association was observed between T1 sweet drink intake and BMIz at T2 among children or adolescents. Children from higher socioeconomic status families who reported an increased intake of sweet drinks at T2 compared with T1 had higher mean BMIz at T2 (β: 0.13, P = 0.05). There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship between sweet drink intake and BMIz. In supplementary analyses, we observed that more frequent usual consumption of fruit juice/cordial was associated with a higher BMIz at T2 among children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed limited evidence of an association between sweet drink intake and BMIz. However, the association is complex and may be confounded by both dietary and activity behaviours.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg; Frederiksberg Hospitals, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark. britt.wang.jensen@regionh.dk
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allender
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Silva-Sanigorski
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lacy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Swinburn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001628:Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates
keywords: Australia; carbonated beverages; obesity; youth