Beverage Consumption Patterns among Norwegian Adults

Abstract

Beverages may be important contributors for energy intake and dietary quality. The purpose of the study was to investigate how beverage consumption varies between different meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper/evening meal, snacks) and between weekdays and weekend-days in Norwegian adults. A cross-sectional dietary survey was conducted among Norwegian adults (n = 1787) in 2010-2011. Two telephone-administered 24 h recalls were used for dietary data collection. Breakfast was the most important meal for milk and juice consumption, dinner for sugar-sweetened beverages and wine, and snacks for water, coffee, artificially sweetened beverages, and beer. Consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages did not differ between weekdays and weekend-days among consumers. The average intake of wine and beer (men only) was higher on weekend-days. Higher age was positively associated with wine consumption and negatively associated with consumption of water, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverages. Higher education was associated with consumption of water, beer, and wine, whereas lower education was associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Beverage consumption patterns among Norwegian adults vary between different meal types and in subgroups of the population. Alcohol consumption was higher on weekend-days. Knowledge regarding beverage consumption patterns in the population should be considered when revising dietary guidelines in the future.

Keywords: alcohol consumption; beverage consumption pattern; food based dietary guide lines; meal types; sugar-sweetened beverages.

Figure 1

Average consumption in grams of sugar-sweetened beverages (n = 353 men and 260 women), artificially sweetened beverages (n = 191 men and 242 women), beer (n = 182 men and 85 women), and wine (n = 156 men and 204 women) among consumers of the selected beverage types on weekdays and weekend days. * p < 0.05 for difference between weekdays and weekend days. Tested with mixed models.