Sugar-sweetened beverages: consumption, purchasing behaviour, and opinions about policy measures in a nationally representative panel of Dutch secondary school adolescents

Despite substantial public health efforts, reducing adolescents’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption remains challenging. While much is known about determinants, the underlying motivations for sustained popularity remain unclear. This study aims to (1) gain insights into the prevalence of perceptions and contextual influences surrounding SSB purchase and consumption in a representative sample of Dutch adolescents; and (2) to investigate adolescents’ opinions on presumed effects of policies to reduce SSB consumption. A cross-sectional, nationally representative survey in June 2021 among 839 Dutch students aged 12–16 was conducted, using an online questionnaire to assess dietary behaviours, including weekly consumption of SSBs (glasses/week). The results showed that over two-thirds of adolescents (72.6%) agreed that ‘Drinking soft drinks is normal.’ Across all adolescents, average consumption was 9.5 glasses per week; over half (51.7%) were defined as high consumers (≥ 7 glasses/week). Adolescents with constant home availability of SSBs had 14 times higher odds of being high consumers (95% CI 12.32–14.48), a significant association; they also tended to purchase SSBs more frequently and spent significantly more money on them, compared to those without home availability. Nearly half (49.7%) agreed that price increases would reduce their consumption. Overall, this study confirms that SSBs are widely consumed by adolescents and perceived as a normal, everyday choice. This normalization is reinforced by their availability and low cost. Fiscal measures and targeted interventions in settings such as supermarkets hold promise for reducing SSB consumption. Future research should explore alternatives to SSBs and assess the effectiveness of relevant policies to reduce consumption.