Beverage Consumption Patterns in Spanish and Italian Adults: A Comparative Study

Background: Beverage intake is a consequential yet underappreciated driver of health in Mediterranean settings. Comparative evidence for Spain and Italy based on harmonised measures is scarce. This study addresses that gap by profiling beverage portfolios and their sociodemographic correlates in parallel adult samples from both countries. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of adults in Spain (n = 483) and Italy (n = 403) using aligned, validated instruments (NutSo-HH; NutSo-HH-Ita). Outcomes were water (Wtr), sugar-sweetened soft drinks (Sfd), juice (Juc), energy drinks (End), coffee (Cff), alcohol (Alc), and episodes of intoxication (Gtd). Associations were assessed via non-parametric tests, multivariable linear models, and an EBIC-selected Gaussian graphical model (GGM). Main results: Italians reported higher Alc and Gtd; Spaniards reported higher Sfd and Juc. Wtr was comparable across countries, and Cff differences were marginal. Age and sex emerged as the most consistent correlates (older age and male sex with higher Alc; younger age with higher Sfd), whereas education and income were not stable determinants. The GGM suggested behavioural clustering of Sfd–Juc–End, with weak partial correlations for other beverages after adjustment. Implications: Distinct country profiles imply differentiated priorities. In Spain, interventions could prioritise reducing sugar-sweetened beverage intake among younger adults through age-targeted primary care counselling, mandatory water (and unsweetened milk) availability in schools, tiered excise taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks, and restrictions on child- and youth-directed marketing of high-sugar beverages. In Italy, primary care and community health services could routinely screen adults for risky alcohol use and deliver brief, culturally attuned advice that promotes lower-risk patterns of wine consumption during meals. Given the cross-sectional design, self-report measures, and non-probabilistic sampling, findings should be interpreted as context-sensitive markers rather than causal determinants; nevertheless, they highlight concrete prevention approaches and regulatory levers for each country’s beverage-related health risks.