Associations of sugar-containing beverages with asthma prevalence in 11-year-old children: the PIAMA birth cohort.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Recently, a few studies have linked soft drink consumption to increased asthma risk, but the contribution of different types of soft drinks is unknown. We investigated cross-sectional associations between six different types of soft drinks and asthma in 11-year-old children.

SUBJECTS/

METHODS

We analyzed data of 2406 children participating in the Dutch Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy birth cohort. At age 11, children self-reported consumption of sugar-added drinks, diet drinks, sweetened milk drinks, 100% fruit juice, energy drinks and sport drinks. The definition of asthma was based on parental reports of wheezing, prescription of inhaled corticosteroids and doctor's diagnosis of asthma.

RESULTS

The prevalence of asthma in this study was 5.8%. In adjusted logistic regression analyses, asthma risk was increased for high (⩾10 glasses/week (gl/wk) versus low (<4 gl/wk) consumption of 100% fruit juice (odds ratio (OR): 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-3.60), sugar-added drinks (OR: 1.56, 95%CI: 0.95-2.56) and for very high (>21.5 gl/wk) versus low (<12.5 gl/wk) total sugar-containing beverage (SCB) consumption (OR: 1.91, 95%CI: 1.04-3.48). Consumption of other beverages and consumption of fruit were not associated with increased asthma risk. No evidence for mediation of the observed associations by body mass index was found.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that high consumption of 100% fruit juice and total SCBs is associated with increased asthma risk in children. The positive association between consumption of 100% fruit juice and asthma is an unexpected finding that needs confirmation in future studies.