USE OF SOFT DRINKS AND ITS EFFECTS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF

KOTTAYAM

Chinju Shajan
B.Ed Student(Physical Science)
Mount Carmel College of Teacher Education for Women, Kottayam

ABSTRACT
The present article entitled “Use of soft drink and its effects among high school students of
Kottayam” is based on a survey carried out with the objective to assess the use of soft drinks and its
bad effects on high school students of Kottayam. A sample of 53, VIII standard students of Mount
Carmel Girls High School, Kottayam was selected for the study. The data was collected using a
questionnaire prepared by the investigator. The major findings of the study indicate that most of the
students were aware of the bad effects of soft drinks. But they are not ready to stop or reduce the
consumption of soft drinks, as they get addicted to soft drinks. Students should be empowered to
stand against the unhealthy practices carried down by the soft drink companies.

INTRODUCTION
Health is a real wealth. We should take care of it on daily basis. We should eat right and
healthy food, practice necessary exercise and follow healthy life style to always remain fit. Good
health is the clear reflection of our disciplined life style and healthy food habits. Today man is
constantly exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals primarily due to changes in the life style. The
food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the environment we live in are
contaminated with toxic man made compounds. Progressive globalization of the food supply and
increase in food intake such as snacks, fast food and soft drinks typically form a significant part of
daily life.

The consumption of soft drinks was found to have increased dramatically over the past
several decades. The greatest increase in soft drink consumption has been among children and
adolescents. Some commercial soft drinks are high in sugar content and acidity. Soft drinks include
carbonated drinks, juices, dilutables, bottled waters, sports and energy drinks. Excessive intake of
soft drinks with high sugar and acid content, both regular and diet could cause detrimental impacts
 on dental and general health including dental caries, dental erosion, and overweight. Soft drinks
have a higher risk of cancer disease and liver damage problems. Large amounts of sugar, artificial
sweetener and food colours in soft drinks are turned into obesity and increase chances of type 2
Diabetes. The sugar tax has raised the level of awareness; however it is necessary to educate pupils
about the harmful effects of different types of soft drinks as it is not always easy for individuals to
know from drink labelling what they actually contain.

Apart from this students of standard VIII of Kerala Board have a topic of soft drinks in the
chapter ‘Solutions’ in Basic science. In that it is mentioning about the chemicals and artificial
flavour that are adding to the soft drinks. This context also showed that it is very important to give
awareness among the students, who are the future wealth of a nation about the hazardous due to the
consumption of soft drinks.

Soft drinks are called soft in contrast with ‘hard’ alcoholic drinks. It is proven fact that
today children mostly prefer soft drinks than ordinary fruit juices. Hence the investigator decided to
conduct a study on the consumption of soft drinks among the high school students of Kottayam
town and to check their awareness regarding the health problem due to soft drinks and also the
factors that leads to its consumption.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• To study soft drinks consumption and frequency among adolescents.
• To know the influence of advertisement in promoting the intake of soft drinks.
• To determine whether students are aware of the health hazards caused due to soft drink
consumption.
• To understand whether students are aware of the chemicals, preservatives and artificial flavouring
present in the soft drinks.
• To determine whether students addicted to the soft drinks.
• To know whether the consumption of soft drinks cause any health problems to the students.

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METHODOLOGY
The study was carried out using survey method of investigation. A questionnaire containing
21 questions related to consumption of soft drinks, its impact on human health and the awareness of
students about the side effects of soft drinks was prepared after the analysis of chapter ‘Solutions’
in the Basic Science text book (SCERT) of standard VIII. The questionnaire was administered
through offline mode. The printed questionnaire was circulated among the students of high school
in Kottayam. The sample consisted of 53 high school students. The data obtained was then
analysed and interpreted to reach the conclusion.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

The study aimed to acquire a greater understanding about the use of soft drinks and its
effects among high school students of Kottayam. The study conducted among the 8th standard
students of Mount Carmel G.H.S, Kottayam. The sample consisted of 53 students. The findings of
the survey was shocking that 100% of the respondents like soft drinks, none of them dislike it.

Among the 53 respondents 5.7% consume soft drinks daily, 32% weekly, 49% monthly and
13.3% annually. The pie diagram showing the consumption rate of respondents is given in figure 1.

5.7%
13.3%
Daily
32% Weekly
Monthly
49%
Annually

Figure 1: Pie diagram showing the percentage of soft drink consumption rate of students.

Advertisements help 37.7% of the respondents to choose their soft drinks but 62.3% of them
do not depend on advertisement for their soft drinks. About 49% of the respondents like to have
regular cola while 45.3% like fruit juice and only 1.9% like energy drinks. At the same time 3.8%
choose other drinks. The diagrammatic representation showing the preference of soft drinks of
respondents was given in figure 2.
 Regular Cola
Fruit juice
49% Energy drinks
45.3%
Others

Figure 2: Pie diagram showing the percentage of preference of type of soft drinks of the students.

About 11.3% of the respondents drink same soft drinks every time but most of them ie
88.7% always choose variety of soft drinks.84.9% of the students do not buy more than one canned
soft drinks at a time. 60.4% of the students like soft drinks of all flavour and they think that
consuming soft drinks give energy. Among the respondents 98.1% of them think that consuming
soft drinks have a relaxation effect on them. About 94.3% of them said that soft drinks are not
healthier. Almost 96.2% of the respondents know that high level of soft drink consumption lead to
diabetes, remaining 3.8% do not know about the same. Then 15.1% of the students do not know
that high level of soft drink consumption lead to dental erosion at the same time 84.9% of them are
aware about this fact. Similarly 54.7% of the students do not know that high level of soft drink
consumption lead to overweight but remaining 45.3% of them are aware that too much
consumption of this lead to overweight.

From the result it was clear that 94.3% of the students are concerned about the artificial
flavouring of soft drinks and 92.5% of them know that chemicals are added in soft drinks to
prevent particles from settling down. Almost 96.2% of the students are concerned about the
preservatives in soft drinks but they get tempted to drink the soft drinks after having it once, among
the respondents 52.8% do not read the ingredients list on the soft drink bottle but 47.2% of them
read the ingredient list.
 From the result, it was clear that 86.8% of the students didn’t face any health problems due
to the consumption of soft drinks but 13.2% of them were affected by some health problems due to
its consumption. The pie diagram showing the percentage of students who face health problems due
to the consumption of soft drinks is given in figure 3.

13.2%
students face
health problems

students didn't
face any health
86.8% problems

Figure 3: pie diagram showing the percentage of the students affected by health problems due to
the consumption of soft drinks.

Almost 92.5% of the students didn’t attend any awareness class on the bad effects of soft
drinks but a small number of them attended such awareness class.From the result it was clear that
98.1% 0f the students think that they should stand against the unhealthy practices carried down by
the soft drink companies.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

In this study the use of soft drinks among high school students of Kottayam town was
analysed. The result of the study revealed that the respondents enjoy drinking soft drinks.
Eventhough they are aware about its side effects. It showed that use of soft drinks is increasing
among children. They have different choice of soft drinks and some of them choose these drinks
with the help of advertisements. Majority of the students in the survey know that high level of soft
drink consumption lead to diabetes, dental erosion and some know that this consumption lead to
overweight. They are concerned about the preservatives, chemicals and artificial flavouring.
Eventhough some read the ingredients of soft drinks, survey showed that they get addicted to the
soft drinks after having it once and a few were affected by health problems due to the consumption
of soft drinks and hence majority of them think that they should stand against the unhealthy
practices carried down by the soft drink companies.

Soft drink has a serious impact on human health. Most of the students know its side effects
but the taste, ingredients used in it made the children to use it regularly, so the awareness about the
toxic side of high level consumption of soft drinks should be strengthen among the students and
parents that may help them to reduce or avoid the use of soft drinks.

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