Impacts of the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax on the Perceived Healthfulness of Sweetened Beverages

Nutrients

Melissa A. Knox¹  Nadine Chan²  Jessica C. Jones-Smith²  Amanda Fretts²  Vanessa M. Oddo³  Lauren Sawyer⁴  Brian E. Saelens⁵ 

[1] Department of Economics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;Nutritional Sciences Program, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA;

关键词: sweetened beverages;    beverage tax;    health perceptions;    food policy;    health policy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nu14050993

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Sweetened beverage taxes are associated with significant reductions in the purchase of sweetened beverages. However, it is unclear whether these taxes play a role in shifting perceptions about sweetened beverages and their health impacts. We utilized pre- and post-tax survey data collected from residents in Seattle, WA, a city that implemented a sweetened beverage tax in 2018 and from residents in an untaxed comparison area. We used income-stratified difference-in-difference linear probability models to compare net changes in the perceived healthfulness of overall sweetened beverage consumption and of different types of sugary beverages over time and across income groups. We found significant increases in the percentage of Seattle respondents with lower incomes who agreed that sweetened beverage consumption raises the risk of diabetes (DD = 9 percentage points (pp) (95% CI: 5 pp, 13 pp); p = 0.002), heart disease (DD = 7 pp (95% CI: 2 pp, 12 pp); p = 0.017), and serious health problems (DD = 12 pp (95% CI: 5 pp, 19 pp); p = 0.009), above and beyond changes in the comparison area. The most prominent changes in perceived health impacts of sweetened beverages were found among lower-income Seattle respondents, while fewer changes were found among higher-income Seattle respondents. Future work could examine the relationship between exposure to pro-tax messaging and changes in consumer perceptions of sweetened beverages.

【 授权许可】

Unknown