Global Trends in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Consumption and Its Impact on Chronic Diseases: A Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis in North America (1990-2021)

Hypothesis: Higher consumption of high sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases across World Bank regions. Introduction: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a primary source of added sugar in the global diet and have been strongly linked to adverse health outcomes. Despite decades of research, excessive sugar intake remains a critical public health concern, contributing to the risking burden of chronic diseases. This study aims to evaluate the association between SSB intake and the prevalence of various chronic diseases across World Bank regions. Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) from1900 to 2021. This dataset contains information of 204 countries categorized into seven World Bank regions. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to calculate mean prevalence rates of chronic disease and mean SSB consumption rate for each region. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the association between SSB intake and disease prevalence. The chronic diseases analyzed included cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancers, Alzheimer's disease, mental health disorders, and inflammatory diseases. Results: Findings revealed significant positive correlations between high SSB consumption and increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers (p < 0.05). However, conditions such as asthma and ADHD showed no statistically significant relationship with SSB intake (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings emphasize the impact of SSB consumption on chronic disease prevalence and the need for targeted policies. Reducing SSB intake is crucial for improving population health and addressing global health disparities. Future Work: Future research should evaluate the impact of global regulations of SSB consumption and chronic disease prevalence. Evaluating the effectiveness of taxation policies, marketing restrictions, and educational campaigns can inform proactive public health framework to reduce SSB consumptions.