IADR Abstract Archives
Taxing Sugary Drinks: Impact on Thai Children’s Oral Health
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of dental caries among Thai children after sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy by using the system dynamics modeling.
Methods: A mixed-method system dynamics model was developed to represent the complex relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage tax, sugar consumption and dental caries. The qualitative causal loop diagram was elicited through group modeling building by stakeholders. Then, the quantitative system dynamics model was developed to simulate the impact of actual sugar-sweetened beverage tax and 2 alternative scenarios on dental caries prevalence among Thai children aged 2 to 15 years from 2017 to 2040.
Results: As the actual sugar-sweetened beverage tax, dental caries prevalence in primary teeth and permanent teeth were projected to decrease respectively by 0.5% and 0.8% in urban area; 1.7% and 3.1% in rural area compared with the no tax scenario by 2040. The implementation of tax with 20% sugar content reduction in the beverage combining with health promotion policy throughout the country was projected to decrease the caries prevalence in primary teeth and permanent teeth respectively by 4% and 4.8% in urban area; 7.7% and 8.8% in rural area compared with the no tax scenario by 2040.
Conclusions: The sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy alone is unlikely to have meaningful reduction of dental caries among Thai children population. The implementation of tax policy with non-tariff measures such as health promotion and providing accessibility of low-sugar drinks will show the most improvement of oral health among population.
Methods: A mixed-method system dynamics model was developed to represent the complex relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage tax, sugar consumption and dental caries. The qualitative causal loop diagram was elicited through group modeling building by stakeholders. Then, the quantitative system dynamics model was developed to simulate the impact of actual sugar-sweetened beverage tax and 2 alternative scenarios on dental caries prevalence among Thai children aged 2 to 15 years from 2017 to 2040.
Results: As the actual sugar-sweetened beverage tax, dental caries prevalence in primary teeth and permanent teeth were projected to decrease respectively by 0.5% and 0.8% in urban area; 1.7% and 3.1% in rural area compared with the no tax scenario by 2040. The implementation of tax with 20% sugar content reduction in the beverage combining with health promotion policy throughout the country was projected to decrease the caries prevalence in primary teeth and permanent teeth respectively by 4% and 4.8% in urban area; 7.7% and 8.8% in rural area compared with the no tax scenario by 2040.
Conclusions: The sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy alone is unlikely to have meaningful reduction of dental caries among Thai children population. The implementation of tax policy with non-tariff measures such as health promotion and providing accessibility of low-sugar drinks will show the most improvement of oral health among population.