University Students’ Knowledge, Consumption Patterns and Health Perceptions of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB)

This study was conducted to find out if there was a direct link between knowledge of SSB, perceptions of risk or benefit and consumption of these beverages among university students. Additionally, the study sought to determine if these students viewed consumption of SSB as more of a risk or benefit to their health. A validated, cross-sectional survey was employed, presenting questions relating to knowledge, perceptions of risks or benefit to health and consumption patterns of SSB. Visual aids of 6 different beverages formed part of the questions pertaining to knowledge of SSB. A sample of 250 students from 4 different courses was used. Analyses included descriptive statistics and t-test between percentages. Confidence interval (CI) of 95% was used with p = 0.05. Most students had adequate knowledge of SSB (59.6%) and were consumers (73%). The difference between knowledge categories was not statistically significant in relation to not consuming SSB [t (228) = 0.756, p = 0.4506]. 77.4% registered concern about the sugar amounts in drinks, with most knowledgeable students viewing SSB consumption as more of a risk. Knowledge of SSB is not directly correlated to consumption among university students. It is more important in risk perception and concern about SSB. Students view SSB as more of a health risk than as a benefit. The study supports the need for continued nutritional education for university students and further investigation on the role of taste in beverage selection.