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Low-Income Preschool Children's Free Sugar Consumption and Its Association With the Home Environment
Maryam Yuhas1, Katherine M Kidwell2, Xeuzhu Hua1
1Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Syracuse University Syracuse New York USA.
Obesity Science & Practice
|June 15, 2026
Summary
High sugar intake in young children is linked to poor home environments and permissive parenting. Interventions should target caregivers, food availability, and socioeconomic factors to reduce children's sugar consumption.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Child Development
Background:
- High consumption of sugary foods and beverages by young children poses health risks.
- Limited research has simultaneously examined multiple home environment domains and included sugars from 100% fruit juice.
- This study investigated associations between home environments and free sugar intake in low-income preschool children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between socio-cultural, built, and economic home environments and free sugar intake in low-income preschool children.
- To identify predictors of high free sugar consumption among young children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Main Methods:
- Caregivers (n=170) of 3-5-year-old children in Head Start programs completed questionnaires on food intake, home environment, and food parenting.
- Statistical analyses included bivariate and multivariable linear regression with sensitivity analyses to identify significant predictors of sugar intake.
Main Results:
- Children consumed an average of 4.05 sugary foods/drinks daily, exceeding recommendations.
- Parental intake, permissive food parenting, and home availability of sugary items were significant predictors of higher child sugar intake.
- Lower household income was associated with higher child sugar consumption in bivariate analyses.
Conclusions:
- Both children and caregivers exceeded recommended free sugar intake levels.
- Multilevel interventions are crucial, addressing caregiver sugar consumption, permissive parenting, home food availability, and socioeconomic barriers.
- Findings underscore the need for comprehensive strategies to reduce sugar intake in preschool-aged children from low-income families.
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