Association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in the Finnish adult population

Added sugar intake has been associated with several health issues, but few studies have examined its association with overall diet quality. We aimed at examining the association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in Finnish adults. Associations between added sugar intake and sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and BMI were also explored. Our data comprised 5094 adults residing in Finland who participated in the National FinHealth 2017 Study. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated FFQ. Food consumption and nutrient intakes were calculated using the Finnish national food composition database. Added sugar intake was estimated based on food categorisation and identifying naturally occurring sugar sources. Overall diet quality was assessed by the modified Baltic Sea Diet Score. The average added sugar intake was 7·6 E % in women and 8·3 E % in men in this study population. Added sugar intake was inversely associated with education (P = 0·03 women; P = 0·001 men), physical activity (P < 0·0001), and BMI in men (P = 0·003), and directly with smoking (P = 0·002 women; P < 0·0001 men). Added sugar intake was inversely associated with overall diet quality in both sexes (P < 0·0001). No interactions were found except for men’s physical activity subgroups, the inverse association being stronger among active men than moderately active or inactive men (P for interaction = 0·005). Our findings suggest that high added sugar intake is associated with several unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits, including poor-quality diets, smoking and leisure-time inactivity in Finnish adults. Efforts to improve diet quality should consider added sugar intake equally in the whole population.