Status of Sugar-Reduced Beverage Consumption according to Sex, among Adults in Their 20s and 30s in Gwangju

In this study, reduced-sugar beverages included ‘seven types of beverages (non-alcoholic beverages)’ and ‘alcoholic beverages’ with reduced sugar content compared to existing products: tea, coffee (liquid), fruit and vegetable beverages, carbonated beverages (excluding carbonated water), soymilk, fermented beverages, and other beverages. This study investigated the status of sugar-reduced beverage (SRB) consumption according to sex among adults in their 20s and 30s in Gwangju. In terms of sugar intake habits, men generally had a sweeter eating habit than women and were found to consume beverages more often than water. SRB intake was observed in 87.6% of participants. The primary reasons for using SRBs were health and weight control. Regarding the type of SRB used, both men and women used carbonated beverages for the highest percentage, followed by soymilk for women and coffee for men. The recognition path was the highest for confirming information about the product itself and was higher in women than in men. Experience of using SRB was high in women, whereas the frequency of intake was high in men. The reason for not knowing whether SRB was used was higher in men than in women because they did not care about sugar content. Although men had a higher experience rate in sugar reduction education than women, interest in sugar reduction, sugar reduction policy recognition rate, and sugar reduction efforts were all higher in women than in men. This study showed that women generally had better sugar intake habits than men and that interest, perception, and effort in sugar-reducing beverages were higher in women than in men. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that men can manage their health through sugar-related nutritional education.