Parental Concerns About Tap Water Associated With 4- to 6-Year-Old Children’s Increased Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Abstract

Safe water is essential for children to comply with healthy beverage consumption recommendations. Tap water generates varying degrees of concern, including safety, health, taste, and so on. Perceptions of water quality may influence other beverages consumed, such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). To assess the association between tap water perceptions and SSB and juice consumption, parents of 4- to 6-year-old children completed surveys. The associations between tap water concerns and SSB and juice consumption were separately assessed via chi-square tests and multinomial logit models (adjusted for child sex, household income, and parent anxiety). Children (N = 221) were racially and socioeconomically diverse. One-quarter (27%) of parents expressed some concern about tap water; their children had higher risk of consuming SSB 3+ times a day (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 6.7; 95% CI = 1.4-33.1) and sometimes consuming SSB (RRR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.1-10.8) compared with those without concerns. In conclusion, tap water concerns may contribute to increased SSB consumption among young children.