P0193 - Perceptions regarding 100% fruit juice among parents who give them to their children <5 years

Background: 100% fruit juice, the sugar content of which closely approximates that of sodas and several other sugar-sweetened beverages, is commonly consumed by infants and young children, often in amounts that exceed recommended limits. While early introduction and high consumption of fruit juice have both been linked to increased obesity risk, juice is available to families of WIC-enrolled children >1 year, in limited amounts, as an alternative to whole fruit.. The purpose of this study was to describe the fruit-juice related perceptions of parents who give them to their infants and young children and to determine if these perceptions differ by race/ethnicity or WIC participation status.

Methods: In 2019-2020, 465 parents of children
Results: Survey respondents were primarily female (82%), married/living with their partner (76%), and lived in a household with >2 children (68%). Most were non-Hispanic white, (54%) or black (31%); 7% were Hispanic; 52% were currently or previously enrolled in WIC. The demographic characteristics of the 353 (76%) who reported that they give their child <5 years fruit juice did not differ substantially from the full sample. Parents' responses were grouped into a total of 33 unique reasons for giving juice, mean 1.9 reasons/parent (Table 1). The 5 reasons most commonly given were because 1) “It’s healthy and/or has healthy ingredients” (56%), 2) "Child likes/loves it” (43%), 3) “It’s better/healthier than other beverages” (30%), 4) "It's natural/ wholesome" (24%), 5) "It has no or less sugar" (13%). While this ranking was similar across race/ethnic groups, there were a few significant differences. Compared to all other parents, black parents were more likely to list because "It has no or less sugar ", 19% vs 10% (p=.02) and Hispanic parents were more likely than other to cite "child likes/loves it", 62% vs.41% (p=07)). There were no significant differences in ranking or between responses by WIC participation.


Conclusion: The perception of parents that 100% fruit juice is healthy for young children and children's preference for it are the primary drivers for parents decision to provide it for their children. Many parents, particularly non-Hispanic black parents, erroneously perceive fruit juice to have no or less sugar than other sweet beverages.