Sugary Drinks Linked to Anxiety in Adolescents; Parental Substance Use Shapes Teen Consumption

A new study has identified an association between consumption of drinks containing a high amount of sugar and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Researchers at Bournemouth University were part of a team involved in reviewing the findings of multiple studies that have investigated people's diets and their mental health, to establish common findings. Their results have been published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Anxiety disorders are a leading cause of mental distress among young people. In 2023 it was estimated that one in five children and young people had a mental health disorder, with anxiety one of the most reported conditions.

The studies investigated by the research team measured sugary drink consumption and mental health of the young people through surveys. Beverages with high amounts of sugar can include fizzy drinks, energy drinks, sugary juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavored milks. The results consistently found a link between high levels of sugary drink consumption and anxiety.

The researchers emphasize that because of the nature of the studies they investigated, the findings do not provide evidence that drinking more sugary drinks directly causes anxiety. It is also possible that experiencing symptoms of anxiety leads to some young people consuming more sugary drinks. Or there could be other common factors — for example, family life and sleeping disorders — that lead to both increased consumption and symptoms of anxiety.

"With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasized the physical consequences of poor dietary habits, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes," said a lecturer in nutrition and co-author of the study. "However, the mental health implications of diet have been underexplored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients."

"While we may not be able to confirm at this stage what the direct cause is, this study has identified an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people," the co-author said. "Anxiety disorders in adolescence have risen sharply in recent years so it is important to identify lifestyle habits which can be changed to reduce the risk of this trend continuing."

In a separate line of research, a group of Brazilian researchers analyzed data on the behavior of 4,280 adolescents and their guardians, arriving at two important conclusions: parental attitudes are one of the most relevant factors in preventing alcohol and drug use among young people, and the way guardians educate their children can significantly mitigate the risk, even in families where caregivers use these substances, including cigarettes, vapes, and marijuana.

The reduction in risk is more significant when the relationship between generations is marked by bonding, presence, dialogue, and clear rules of conduct — characteristics of the so-called "authoritative" parenting style, which combines acceptance and monitoring. Four parenting styles were analyzed in total. The other styles were authoritarian, which reduced the risk of drug use but had less impact on alcohol, as well as permissive and neglectful. The latter two did not have any protective effects.

Consumption profiles were divided into three groups: abstainers, those who only drink alcohol, and those who use two or more substances. Alcohol consumption by parents was associated with a 24% probability of their children using alcoholic beverages and a 6% probability of their children using two or more drugs. If guardians consume multiple substances, the risk of young people using them rises to 17% and 28%, respectively.

These findings were published on the Addictive Behaviors website and are described in an article in the March issue of the scientific journal.

"With this study, we reinforce the fact that parents' patterns of alcohol and other drug use influence their children's. However, if they set rules and limits at home and show affection, these protective factors greatly minimize the risk they themselves pose when they consume these substances," said a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the São Paulo School of Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and the lead author of the article. "In addition, the greatest predictor of abstinence among young people is non-use by their guardians. When they're abstinent, 89% of adolescents also don't use alcohol or other legal or illegal drugs. This was the strongest association we found."

The data were collected from 2023 to 2024 in four towns in the state of São Paulo: Cordeirópolis, Iracemápolis, Salesópolis, and Biritiba-Mirim. The average age of the adolescents was 14.7 years, with nearly equal numbers of boys and girls. The most frequent behaviors among the children were alcohol consumption in the last month (19.9%) and episodic excessive consumption (11.4%). Among parents, the percentages were 56.4% and 20.3%, respectively.