Access to non-sugar and sugar sweetened beverage: pricing and promotion in large and small retail stores in Umlazi, KwaZulu Natal

Abstract

Background: Sugar is being renounced as the new tobacco by academics and health experts because it has been identified as a risk associated with obesity and developing other noncommunicable diseases. South Africa was ranked 15th by WHO in terms of health risks of developing NCDs amongst 194 countries. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages in particular is associated with weight gain and obesity. Health experts are concerned that health promotion strategies without regulatory policies may be insufficient to address levels of consumption in South Africa. Urbanization is increasing in the country with people moving to Black township areas, resulting in an increase in the emergence of retail shops and shopping malls. Therefore there is a focus on the retail environment in order to understand how it contributes to the consumers purchasing decisions between non-sugar and sugar sweetened beverages. The aim of the study was to assess how product shelf availability, pricing and promotion of sugar sweetened beverages versus non-sugar sweetened beverages differs in small and large retail shops in Umlazi, KwaZulu Natal.

Methodology: A descriptive and analytic cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2019. A census was conducted of all 61 retail shops (supermarkets and spaza shops) in the four sections of Umlazi. Consent for data collection was obtained from shop managers or owners. Data were captured by the researcher and research assistant using a data collection tool. Data were collected on retail shop size, selected pre-determined list of sugar sweetened beverages and non-sugar sweetened beverages available, price and promotion. Beverages were then categorized into the following categories; carbonated sugar sweetened beverages, carbonated non-sugar sweetened beverages, non-carbonated sugar sweetened beverages and non-carbonated sugar sweetened beverages. Data on the availability and price for different sizes of each of the selected products was also obtained. For continuous variables such as price per litre data were presented using means and standard deviations, while proportions were used to report on the availability and promotion which were categorical variables. A test of proportions was used to compare the availability and promotions in large and small shops while a ttest was used to compare prices for different beverage categories and sizes in large and small shops.