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Sugary drink consumption is associated with many adverse health outcomes, including weight gain, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. These beverages are widely marketed and ubiquitously available. This analysis explores sugary drink consumption across all age groups among New York City (NYC) residents using representative survey data. Three population-based representative surveys of NYC residents of different age groups were analyzed. Adult participants, youth participants, and caregivers of child participants self-reported the number of sugary drinks they consumed per day. Mean sugary drink intake per day was estimated overall and by demographic characteristics, for the 2015 cycle of each survey and the 2007-2015 cycles of the adult survey. T tests were used to determine whether means differed by demographics. Long-term trends in mean sugary drink consumption among adult participants were conducted to examine changes over time overall and by demographic characteristics. In 2015, the mean daily number of sugary drinks consumed was 0.53 (95% CI 0.45, 0.61) among children 0-5 years old, 1.05 (95% CI 0.90, 1.21) among children 6-12 years old, and 1.16 (95% CI 1.09, 1.29) among NYC high school students. Among all NYC adults, sugary drink intake decreased 36% from 1.03 (95% CI 0.99, 1.08) in 2007 to 0.66 (95% CI 0.62, 0.70) drinks per day in 2015, p < 0.01. However, at each age level, there were persistent disparities in sugary drink consumption by sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and poverty level. Decreasing overall rates of sugary drink consumption are promising; however, disparities by socio-demographics are a concern. Reducing sugary drink consumption across all ages is recommended as is minimizing the introduction at an early age. Reduction of sugary drink consumption will require a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nutrition Facts (NF) label was established to help individuals monitor their nutrient intake and select healthier foods. This tool is particularly useful for individuals for whom dietary improvements are recommended, such as those with hypertension. Study objectives were to examine the independent association between hypertension and frequency of use of the NF label for sodium information and determine whether frequent use in individuals with hypertension was associated with differences in mean sodium intake assessed through 24-hour urine samples. Data came from the New York City Community Health Survey Heart Follow-Up Study, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2010 in a representative sample of New York City adults (n=1,656). Participants were asked questions regarding frequency of checking the NF label and also had 24-hour urine samples collected to assess actual sodium intake. Results indicated that hypertension was associated with frequent use of the NF label for sodium information (adjusted odds ratio 1.71, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.73). In individuals with hypertension, sodium intake did not differ between frequent vs nonfrequent use of the NF label for sodium information (3,084 mg/day vs 3,059 mg/day; P =0.92). Although individuals with hypertension compared to those with no hypertension had 71% higher odds of frequently using the NF label for sodium information, suggesting they may be interested in decreasing sodium intake, sodium intake did not differ by frequency of NF label use among those with hypertension. Future research should explore strategies to ensure that when nutrition information is used, it is translated into meaningful results, especially in individuals with health concerns such as hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]