Study Associates Violence in Teens with Soda Consumption
Soda is one of the beverages that teenagers love, and may very well be counted as among the things that are consumed when one is craving for comfort food.
A new study, published in the British journal Injury Prevention, however, associated soda consumption among teens with violent behavior.
David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, shared: “What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings… It was shocking to us when we saw how clear the relationship was.”
The study found that teens who consumed more than five cans of non-diet soda on a weekly basis were 9 to 15 percent more likely to act aggressively, when compared against teens their age who do not consume as much soda.
The study involved an analysis of answers to questionnaires that were filled out by 1,878 students, aged 14 to 18, in the inner Boston area. Most of the respondents were Hispanic, African-American, or mixed; only a few of the respondents were Asian or white. According to Prof. Hemenway, crime rates in this area higher when compared against the wealthier suburbs.
In addition to being asked about their soda consumption, the teens were also asked if they drank alcohol or smoked, or were violent towards their peers or family members.
Prof. Hemenway pointed out, however, that further work is needed to confirm, or disprove, whether the consumption of more sweet sodas led to violent behavior.
