title: Dietary sources of sugars in adolescents' diet: the HELENA study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report dietary sugars consumption and their different types and food sources, in European adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food consumption data of selected groups were obtained from 1630 adolescents (45.6% males, 12.5-17.5 years) from the HELENA study using two nonconsecutive 24-h recalls. Energy intake, total sugars and free sugars were assessed using the HELENA-DIAT software. Multiple regression analyses were performed adjusting for relevant confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total sugars intake (137.5 g/day) represented 23.6% and free sugars (110.1 g/day), 19% of energy intake. Girls had significantly lower intakes of energy, carbohydrates, total sugars and free sugars. 94% of adolescents had a consumption of free sugars above 10% of total energy intake. The main food contributor to free sugars was 'carbonated, soft and isotonic drinks,' followed by 'non-chocolate confectionary' and 'sugar, honey, jam and syrup.' Older boys and girls had significantly higher intakes of free sugars from 'cakes, pies and biscuits.' Free sugars intake was negatively associated with low socioeconomic status for 'non-chocolate confectionary' and 'sugar, honey and jam' groups; with low maternal educational level for carbonated and 'soft drinks,' 'sugar, honey and jam,' 'cakes and pies' and 'breakfast cereals' groups; and with high paternal educational level for 'carbonated and soft drinks' and 'chocolates' group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority (94%) of studied adolescents consumed free sugars above 10% of daily energy intake. Our data indicate a broad variety in foods providing free sugars. Continued efforts are required at different levels to reduce the intake of free sugars, especially in families with a low educational level.
authors.affiliation: Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Saragossa, Spain. mmesana@unizar.es.|Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Saragossa, Spain. mmesana@unizar.es.|Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Saragossa, Spain. mmesana@unizar.es.|Red de Salud Materno-infantil y del Desarrollo (SAMID), Madrid, Spain. mmesana@unizar.es.
authors.forename: M I
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6836-9101
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Mesana
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Nutrition (FKE), Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hilbig
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Androutsos
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.|GALENO Research Group, Department of Physical Education, School of Education, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuenca-García
authors.affiliation: Service d'Epidémiologie et Santé Publique - INSERM U1167 Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dallongeville
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Nutrition and Prevention, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kafatos
authors.affiliation: Inmunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Instituto del Frío, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nova
authors.affiliation: Inmunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Instituto del Frío, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport-INEF, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.|Institut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften - Ernährungphysiologie, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms Universität, Bonn, Germany.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Gross
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty, University of Pécs, Pecs, Hungary.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.affiliation: Lille Inflammation Research International Center (LIRIC) UMR 995 Inserm, University of Lille, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gottrand
authors.affiliation: Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Saragossa, Spain.|Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Saragossa, Spain.|Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Saragossa, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002182:Candy; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D003212:Condiments; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D000073417:Dietary Sugars / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000208:ethnology; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012044:Regression Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D000073417:Dietary Sugars
keywords: Adolescents; Diet; Europe; Food sources; Free sugars