Chiang Mai University Dental Faculty and Thai Children No-Sugar Network Study 'Sugar Literacy' Finds Elderly Score Low, High-Income Groups Most Health-Conscious
A Chiang Mai University study on sugar literacy reveals Thai elderly have low awareness of healthy sugar consumption, while high-income groups show significantly better dietary knowledge across four regions.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pinpinat Vanitchai Saitong from Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Dentistry and academic lead for the Thai Children No-Sugar Network unveiled findings from a 35-question assessment tool measuring food and health literacy with specific focus on reducing sugar consumption among students and elderly people. The test comprised 10 true-false knowledge questions and 25 attitude assessment questions covering topics such as recommended sugar intake, beverages, food labels, nutritional information access, food selection ability, and environmental factors.
When tested across four Thai regions, results showed that Thais possessed moderate to fairly good health literacy levels. The research discovered a significant relationship between Sugar Literacy scores and oral health, with functional natural teeth correlating strongly with sugar awareness. People scoring higher on the Sugar Literacy assessment added sugar to food only 1-2 times weekly, compared to low-scoring individuals who did so more than 3 times weekly.
Key findings revealed that literacy scores decreased with age, while high-income groups demonstrated significantly better health awareness than other income brackets. Working-age adults showed increased awareness as they aged, attributable to better access to health information and societal health trends. The study emphasized that the No-Sugar Network's comprehensive approach—from upstream policy advocacy including sugar taxes to downstream behavior change—has successfully prompted manufacturers to develop low-sugar beverage alternatives, even if price mechanisms alone don't directly alter consumer behavior. Assoc. Prof. Saitong stressed that health literacy fundamentally stems from building strong foundational knowledge, with the measurement serving as an outcome indicator of the network's campaign success and Thai consumers' capacity for informed dietary choices.
