title: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Children's Perceptions, Factors of Influence, and Suggestions for Reducing Intake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of children's perceptions of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine focus groups were conducted in grade 5 and 6 elementary schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine urban and rural elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one children, 58% of which were male, 52% of whom were in grade 5, and 84% of whom were Caucasian.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children's views on sugar-sweetened beverages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three researchers conducted inductive content analysis on the data independently using the principles of the immersion-crystallization method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants had a high level of awareness of beverages and their health effects, which was primarily targeted at the sugar content. Dominant factors that influenced children's beverage choices and consumption patterns included taste, parental control practices, accessibility, and advertising. Participants identified a wide array of strategies to reduce SSB consumption in children, including educational strategies for both children and parents and policy-level changes at both the government and school levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a high level of awareness of SSBs, children believed that further education and policies regarding SSBs were warranted. These data may prove helpful in designing effective interventions targeted at children and parents to reduce SSB consumption by children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: dbattra@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Battram
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piché
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research, Education and Development Program, Middlesex-London Health Unit, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beynon
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Health and Nutrition, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX.
authors.forename: Meizi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages; D002648:Child; D000067576:Child Health; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D050177:Overweight; D013549:Sweetening Agents
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents
keywords: children; focus groups; overweight; sugar-sweetened beverages