Variations in Dietary Fibre and Added Sugar Intake Across Global, Regional and National Levels: Implications for Non-Communicable Diseases

OBJECTIVE:To examine global, regional and national trends in dietary fibre and added sugar consumption and to assess their implications for non-communicable disease (NCD) prevalence. DESIGN:This study used a longitudinal ecological design. Dietary fibre (1990-2018) and added sugar (1990-2020) intake data were obtained from the Global Dietary Database (GDD). Intakes were analysed across GDD regions, age groups, education levels and urbanisation status. Subsequently, mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between NCD prevalence and intakes of fibre, added sugar and the fibre-to-added-sugar ratio, adjusting for socio-demographic index (SDI), national income and urbanisation. SETTING:The GDD covers dietary intake estimates for 185 countries and territories. RESULTS:Globally, median dietary fibre intake rose from 14·8 to 21·6 g/d, while added sugar intake increased from 7·7 % to 10·5 % of total energy intake. Fibre intake increased in all regions except high-income countries, where it declined from 21·5 to 16·4 g/d. In contrast, added sugar intake increased in all regions except Latin America and the Caribbean (15·6 % to 13·3 % of total energy). Intake patterns were associated with education and urbanisation levels, with higher added sugar intake observed in countries with a higher SDI (r = 0·195, P = 0·008). The association between dietary fibre-to-added-sugar ratio was not significantly associated with NCD prevalence (β = -10·15, P = 0·067). CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights global disparities in dietary fibre and added sugar consumption, driven by regional, educational and urbanisation factors. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve nutrition and reduce the NCD burden.