1. Exploring factors affecting on sweetened soft drinks consumption patterns among Saudi population measured by principal component analysis
Nada Benajiba (PhD)
Clinical Nutrition Program, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University,
Background and Objectives:
Saudi Arabia is identified as the largest consumer of soft drinks in Middle East and this market increases continuously. Objectives: To assess the sweetened soft drinks consumption patterns among adults Saudis and to identify the association of different factors on the sweetened soft drinks consumption among adult Saudis
Methods:
Study design and setting: A cross-sectional study, in KSA, from July – September 2016.
Sample size and sampling: Convenient sampling (snowball survey), N=1194 eligible Saudi participants. (Eligibility criteria: not be a diabetic, not diagnosed with osteopenia/osteoporosis and not under specific diet to lose weight, living in KSA).
Research instrument : Questionnaire with: Section 1: Socio-demographic characteristics, Section 2: Patterns of sweetened soft drinks consumption (frequency and quantity), and Section 3: Factors influencing the sweetened soft drinks: availability, affordability, social gathering, TV/electronic device use, advertising, social gathering, eating out of home, eating at home. Response categories used a 5 points Likert scale (1= I strongly disagree, and 5= I strongly agree).
Data collection method: Online self-administered questionnaire.
Statistics: Factor analysis with principal component method (orthogonal rotation with varimax option) was applied to ascertain influencing factors, using SPSS (version 24.0).
Results:
Demographic characteristics of the study population
Principal component analysis results
Patterns of sweetened soft drinks consumption the study population
Conclusions:
Results of this research confirm the high consumption of sweetened soft drinks by adults Saudis, and showed that frequency and quantity are associated.
Message targeting limiting soft drinks consumption should rather focus on reducing the frequency rather the quantity.
PCA revealed two factors: individual factors and socio-environmental factors  Reducing soft drinks consumption needs a comprehensive approach considering:
Increasing population awareness about the negative consequences of excessive sweetened soft drinks consumption
Promoting favorable environment by making soft drinks less affordable (taxation), providing healthy and competitive alternatives food items and controlling media and advertising.
Keywords: Soft drinks consumption, Influencing factors, PCA, Adults, Saudi Arabia
Conflict of Interest: None