The taxes were ultimately linked with a nearly 8% reduced risk of unhealthy gestational weight gain, a 41.4% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes, and a 39.1% lower risk of small infant birth for gestational age.
During the study, the researchers did control for city-level and demographic factors that may have accounted for variations– including socioeconomic status, race, and retail environment.
The results also revealed that SSB taxes did not impact body mass index (BMI) or blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as preterm status or low birthweight of infants.
Approximately 50 nations have chosen to implement SSB taxes over the last decade, with studies finding that the taxes have aided the reduction of sugary beverage consumption. But, research on the health impacts is still limited.
“It can be challenging to measure the effects of sugary drink taxes on health outcomes like type 2 diabetes, which can take decades to develop,” White said.
“But showing that we can improve health during the relatively short, and critical, window of pregnancy– and thus have lifelong health effects for the mother and child– makes a strong policy argument for these taxes.”
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, visit the link here.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe