Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Jul 4;13(7). pii: E678. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13070678.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Is Adversely Associated with Childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Yu CJ¹, Du JC², Chiou HC³, Feng CC⁴, Chung MY⁵, Yang W⁶, Chen YS⁷, Chien LC⁸, Hwang B⁹, Chen ML¹⁰.

Author information

1: Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. d49521001@ym.edu.tw.
2: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao Branch, Taipei 11556, Taiwan. DAL82@tpech.gov.tw.
3: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Songde Branch, Taipei 11080, Taiwan. DAF28@tpech.gov.tw.
4: Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. ryan.feng@gmail.com.
5: Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. mychung@ym.edu.tw.
6: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Yangming Branch, Taipei 11146, Taiwan. DAH06@tpech.gov.tw.
7: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan. drchen3209@gmail.com.
8: School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan. lcchien@tmu.edu.tw.
9: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao Branch, Taipei 11556, Taiwan. dan75@tpech.gov.tw.
10: Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. mlchen@ym.edu.tw.

Abstract

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral conditions. Evidence of the negative effects of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on mental health has not been convincing, although a few studies have found an association between high SSB levels and attention problems in children. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that SSB consumption is associated with ADHD among children. Doctor-diagnosed ADHD cases (n = 173) and non-ADHD controls (n = 159) between age 4 to 15 were recruited. SSB consumption, socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics of the children, as well as of their mothers' characteristics during pregnancy, were collected using a questionnaire. Blood lead levels and polymorphisms of two commonly verified dopaminergic-related genes (the D4 dopamine receptor gene DRD4 and the dopamine transporter gene DAT1) were also analyzed. There was a dose-response relationship between SSB consumption and ADHD. After covariates were adjusted, children who consumed SSBs at moderate levels and high levels had 1.36 and 3.69 odds, respectively, of having ADHD, compared with those who did not consume SSBs (p for trend < 0.05). Similar results were obtained when females were excluded. Our findings highlighted the adverse correlation between SSB consumption and ADHD and indicated a dose-response effect even after covariates were adjusted.