Community and Public Health Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P02-040-25) Parents’ Confidence and Information Sources Regarding Non-sugar Sweeteners (NSS) in Children’s Diets

Saturday, May 31, 2025

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM ET

Location: Poster Board C-36

Presenting Author(s)

MG

Mariana F. Grilo, MPH

Doctoral Candidate
The George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Co-Author(s)

LS

Lindsey Smith Taillie

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
JK

James W. Krieger, MD, MPH

Healthy Food America and University of Washington
Seattle, Washington, United States
NV

Natalie J. Vallone

The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, United States
AS

Allison C. Sylvetsky, PhD

Associate Professor
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Disclosure(s):

Mariana F. Grilo, MPH: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Allison C. Sylvetsky, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: To investigate U.S. parents’ confidence in identifying and making decisions about providing foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) to their children, their preferences between NSS and added sugars, and the sources from which they obtain information about NSS.

Methods: A 32-item online survey was conducted with 1,047 U.S. parents of children aged 2–12 years. Three items assessed parents’ preferences and confidence in identifying products containing NSS and their ability to make informed decisions for their children. Five items explored their perceptions of friends’ preferences regarding NSS, perceptions of recommendations from healthcare providers, and the influence of various media sources on their opinions about NSS. Responses were measured on a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Sixty-nine percent of parents had confidence in their ability to identify NSS-containing products, and 62% indicated they had sufficient information to make informed decisions about NSS. Nearly half (52%) reported they would prefer consuming high-sugar products to NSS products, while 65% reported they would rather give their children high-sugar products than NSS-containing products. Additionally, 43% of parents reported their friends would rather consume NSS products compared with products high in sugar, yet only 35% believed their friends would prefer to give NSS-containing products to their children. Most parents (79%) indicated healthcare providers would not recommend NSS for their children. However, approximately one-third reported television, radio, or news articles (36%) influenced whether they provide NSS to their children, as well as information on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook (35%).

Conclusions: Most parents do not want to provide NSS products to their children, yet a third report a lack of confidence in their ability to identify products with NSS. Social media and healthcare providers are important sources of information about NSS. These findings highlight the need to enhance evidence-based communication about NSS through multiple communication channels to ensure that information parents receive about NSS aligns with public health recommendations.

Funding Sources: This study was funded by the Healthy Eating Research.