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Low-income parents' perceptions of a sweetened beverage tax in Philadelphia.
Edmondson, Emma K; Shea, Judy A; Gregory, Emily F; Roberto, Christina A; Garcia, Stephanie M; Kwon, Jeemin; Virudachalam, Senbagam.
  • Edmondson EK; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Shea JA; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Gregory EF; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Roberto CA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Garcia SM; Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Kwon J; Policy Lab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South St, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA.
  • Virudachalam S; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
J Nutr Sci ; 11: e67, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2000828
ABSTRACT

Objective:

To characterise perceptions of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax among low-income parents.

Design:

We conducted semi-structured interviews and administered demographic questions via telephone. We based the interview guide and initial codebook on a conceptual model illustrating perceived fairness and effectiveness as essential for successfully adopting food policies. We performed thematic analysis using NVivo 12.

Setting:

We recruited from a primary care paediatrics clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from July to August 2020.

Participants:

Philadelphia parents/caregivers of 2- to 11-year-old children with Medicaid insurance.

Results:

Participants were predominantly African American (97 %), female (100 %), and had annual household incomes <$50 000 (80 %). Participants were 26- to 72-years old, with an average aged child of 5 years (range 7 months to 20 years). Themes emerged regarding tax perceptions, revenue use and behaviour change due to the tax. Using revenue for highly valued programmes and accountability of city government to use revenue as promised were critical elements in perceptions of tax fairness. Some parents avoided the tax through cross-border shopping and buying drink powders or concentrates, influencing perceptions of tax effectiveness. The tax signalled the health dangers of sweetened beverage consumption to most parents.

Conclusion:

Our findings bring to light four key takeaways for policymakers designing sweetened beverage taxes. (1) Dedication of tax revenue to programmes highly valued by parents and (2) transparency in revenue spending may improve acceptability. (3) State or national taxes may be more effective at decreasing consumption due to cross-border shopping. (4) Pairing taxes with health promotion campaigns may enhance behaviour change.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Type of study: Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Aged / Child / Child, preschool / Female / Humans / Middle aged Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Nutr Sci Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Jns.2022.64

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Type of study: Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Aged / Child / Child, preschool / Female / Humans / Middle aged Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Nutr Sci Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Jns.2022.64