UC Merced

Background and Objective: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes have been increasing in popularity across the United States and have been implemented in some California cities. Studies have shown SSB taxes reduce the consumption of SSB but also increase the consumption of juice, milk and sugary sweets. Support for an SSB tax is influenced by various factors, including the proposed amount of the tax, how the tax is used and the demographics of the population. The purpose of this study is to examine attitudes towards SSB taxes among a predominantly young, Latino population in California.

Method: Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). Attributes and levels were defined according to the findings of a literature review and focus groups. The DCE included five attributes and within each attribute were separate related choices. Data was analyzed using a conditional logistic regression model. Separate analyses were performed for low and high SSB consumers to determine if participants took into consideration different attributes when making decisions about what to drink.

Results: A total of n= 315 participated in the DCE survey. Overall, participants expressed a preference for water and juice compared to regular soda. The time it takes to get the beverage and price were important attributes which influence their beverage consumption decisions; they want convenience when getting their drinks and to pay less for them.

Conclusion: These data show that for those who are not yet replacing soda with water or juice they would convert easily. The high value these participants place on water may result in a higher reduction in caloric intake if the price to SSB is increased.