Soft Drink Intake Is Associated with Diet Quality Even among Young Japanese Women with Low Soft Drink Intake

Background Unsweetened traditional Japanese tea has long been the main beverage consumed in Japan, with soft drinks only recently forming a part of people's diets. Evidence suggests an association between soft drink intake and poor diet quality among youth in the United States. The association is not yet fully examined in the population with relatively low intake level of soft drinks such as the current Japanese population. Objective To investigate the association of soft drink intake with dietary intake among young Japanese women. Design A cross-sectional survey assessed dietary intake using a validated, self-administered, diet history questionnaire. Subjects/setting Female dietetics students aged 18 to 20 years (n=3,931) in April 2005 in Japan. Statistical analyses Multivariate linear regression analyses examined the relationship of soft drink intake with that of foods, beverages, energy, and nutrients. Results Mean +/- standard deviation soft drink intake was 70.6 +/- 93.0 g/1,000 kcal. Soft drink intake was significantly associated positively with intake of confections, fat and oil, noodles, 100% vegetable and fruit juices, diet soft drinks, energy, and carbohydrates and negatively with intake of vegetables, fruits, pulses, fish and shellfish, rice, eggs, potatoes, milk, coffee and black tea, traditional Japanese tea, protein, dietary fiber, cholesterol, and most of the micronutrients examined. Conclusions Not only among Western populations, but also among non-Western populations, soft drink intake may be an important factor to consider in evaluating overall dietary intake and diet quality.