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Funding quality pre-kindergarten slots with Philadelphia's new 'sugary drink tax': simulating effects of using an excise tax to address a social determinant of health
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Funding quality pre-kindergarten slots with Philadelphia's new 'sugary drink tax': simulating effects of using an excise tax to address a social determinant of health

Brent A Langellier, Félice Lê-Scherban and Jonathan Purtle
Public health nutrition, v 20(13), pp 2450-2458
Sep 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017001756
PMID: 28774355
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980017001756View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze),  Open
url
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017001756View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Adolescent Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena Beverages - adverse effects Beverages - economics Child Child, Preschool Computer Simulation Diet, Carbohydrate Loading - adverse effects Dietary Sugars - adverse effects Dietary Sugars - economics Educational Status Family Characteristics Financial Support Health Status Disparities Health Transition Humans Models, Economic Obesity - economics Obesity - etiology Obesity - prevention & control Philadelphia Poverty Quality Control Schools, Nursery - economics Schools, Nursery - standards Social Determinants of Health - economics Taxes
Philadelphia passed a 1·5-cent-per-ounce sweetened beverage tax (SBT). Revenue will fund 10 000 quality pre-kindergarten slots for poor children. It is imperative to understand how revenue from SBT can be used to fund programmes to address education and other social determinants of health. The objective of the present study was to simulate quality pre-kindergarten attendance, educational achievement and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among Philadelphia children and adolescents under six intervention scenarios: (i) no intervention; (ii) 10 000 additional quality pre-kindergarten slots; (iii) a 1·5-cent-per-ounce SBT; (iv) expanded pre-kindergarten and 1·5-cent-per-ounce SBT; (v) a 3-cent-per-ounce SBT; and (vi) expanded pre-kindergarten and 3-cent-per-ounce SBT. We used an agent-based model to estimate pre-kindergarten enrolment, educational achievement and SSB consumption under the six policy scenarios. We identified key parameters in the model from the published literature and secondary analyses of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics - Child Development Supplement. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Philadelphia children and adolescents aged 4-18 years. A 1·5-cents-per-ounce tax would reduce SSB consumption by 1·3 drinks/week among Philadelphia children and adolescents relative to no intervention, with larger effects among children below the poverty level. Quality pre-kindergarten expansion magnifies the effect of the SBT by 8 %, but has the largest effect on moderate-income children just above the poverty level. The SBT and quality pre-kindergarten programme each reduce SSB consumption, but primarily benefit different children and adolescents. Pairing an excise tax with a complementary programme to improve a social determinant of health represents a progressive strategy to combat obesity, a disease regressive in its social patterning.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Web of Science research areas
Nutrition & Dietetics
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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