Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and overweight in primary school children from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31644/AMU.V04.N03.2026.A14Keywords:
Sugar-sweetened beverages, Childhood overweight, Schoolchildren, Nutritional statusAbstract
Childhood overweight is a public health issue associated with metabolic complications from early ages. The frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages constitutes an important dietary factor due to their high caloric load and low nutritional value. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between habitual sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and the presence of overweight in fourth-grade students (groups 4°A and 4°B) from the primary school C.E.B.E.CH. Dr. Belisario Domínguez Palencia, located in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
A structured epidemiological questionnaire was administered to evaluate the frequency, type, and context of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Additionally, the presence of overweight and obesity was identified through Body Mass Index (BMI) and World Health Organization (WHO) percentile classifications. Prevalence and measures of association were determined using SPSS software. The sample consisted of 61 children (29 girls and 32 boys). A prevalence of 16.4% overweight and 49.2% obesity was observed.
In the evaluated school population, no statistically significant association was identified between overweight or obesity and overall consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. However, a marginal trend was observed for soft drink consumption (p= 0.094), as well as for sports drinks and sweetened teas (p= 0.064 in both cases), suggesting the possible presence of an underlying effect not detected due to the limited sample size. These findings underscore the need for studies with greater statistical power and emphasize the importance of implementing educational and community strategies aimed at reducing added sugar intake and promoting healthy lifestyles from early stages of life.
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