In a recent study published in Nature Communications , researchers evaluated the impact of the United Kingdom (UK) Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) on childhood asthma hospital admission rates in England. Study: The UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy and childhood hospital admissions for asthma in England . Image Credit: VDZ3 Media/Shutterstock.
com The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommends that free sugar consumption be below 5% of total energy intake. Still, current intake levels are at least twice this and three times higher in adolescents. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of free sugar and are linked to non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as asthma.
A meta-analysis found higher asthma prevalence among high SSB consumers. The UK SDIL, implemented in April 2018, aimed to reduce sugar content in drinks. Further research is needed to explore the long-term health impacts of the UK SDIL and to understand the underlying mechanisms linking sugar reduction to decreased asthma incidence.
National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions for asthma (International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code: J45) in children aged 5-18 years were analyzed using Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data. Analyses were conducted overall by age groups (5-9, 10-14, and 15-18 years) and by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintile. Admissions for children under five were excluded due to diagnostic cha.
