Evidence mapPaperPMID 39853976Full record

ArticleJAMA network open2025

City-Level Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes and Changes in Adult Body Mass Index.

Emily F Liu, Deborah R Young, Margo A Sidell, Catherine Lee, Deborah A Cohen, Lee J Barton, Jennifer Falbe, Galina Inzhakova, Sneha Sridhar, Allison C Voorhees and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JAMA network open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Emily F LiuDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton.
Deborah R YoungDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Margo A SidellDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Catherine LeeDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Franscico.
Deborah A CohenDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Lee J BartonDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Jennifer FalbeDepartment of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis.
Galina InzhakovaDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Sneha SridharDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton.
Allison C VoorheesDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Bing HanDepartment of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena.
Monique M HeddersonDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton.

Funding

Impact of Sugary Beverage Taxes on Weight and Health Outcomes after 3-5 YearsR01DK123204 · NIDDK · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI HEDDERSON, MONIQUE MARIE, YOUNG, DEBORAH R. · 2020 to 2023
$2.9M
NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK123204
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Importance: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) excise taxes are popular policy interventions aimed at decreasing SSB purchasing and consumption to improve cardiometabolic health and generate revenue for public health initiatives. There is limited evidence that these taxes in the US are associated with weight-related outcomes in adults, a primary contributor to cardiometabolic health. Objective: To determine the association between SSB excise taxes and adult body mass index (BMI) and proportion of adults with overweight or obesity among California cities and assess whether associations vary by demographic characteristics. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study compared California cities with SSB taxes (Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco) and demographically matched cities without SSB excise taxes from 6 years before the tax and 4 to 6 years after the tax from January 2009 through December 2020 using electronic health record data. Participants were Kaiser Permanente (KP) members aged 20 to 65 years at cohort entry with at least 1 pretax and 1 posttax BMI measurement. Data were analyzed from January 2021 to May 2023. Exposure: Implementation of city-level SSB excise taxes. Main outcomes and measures: Mean BMI and proportion of adults with overweight or obesity. Analysis used the differences-in-differences (DID) method. Results: The cohort had a total of 1 044 272 members (178 931 participants in 4 cities with excise taxes; mean [SD] age, 39.7 [11.2] years; 99 501 [55.6%] female; 865 343 participants in 40 control cities without excise taxes; mean [SD] age, 39.9 [11.6] years; 480 155 [55.5%] female). DID estimates for mean BMI showed a modest decrease among adults aged 20 to 39 years (20-25 years: -0.30; 95% CI, -0.51 to -0.08; 26-39 years: -0.19; 95% CI, -0.37 to -0.20), female participants (-0.19; 95% CI, -0.26 to -0.11), and White participants (-0.19; 95% CI, -0.35 to -0.04) living in cities with SSB excise taxes. There was a statistically significant reduction in mean BMI in Berkeley (-0.16; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.04). There were no overall differences in BMI or proportion with overweight or obesity. Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, SSB excise taxes were associated with reduced mean BMI among adults in demographic subgroups, including in young adults who consumed the most SSBs, and in Berkeley. Future research should examine the mechanisms of these associations to inform how SSB taxes could be more equitable for weight-related outcomes.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexSugar-Sweetened BeveragesTaxesAdultAgedCaliforniaCitiesCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObesityOverweightYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39853976
PMCPMC11762258

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.