Individual choices, not family influence teenagers’ non-alcoholic drink preference

Adolescents' non-alcoholic drinks preferences are strongly influenced by their own individual circumstances and lifestyle choices, but not by their families and home environment, according to a new UCL study. The study, published in Scientific Reports and funded by the Medical Research Council, is the first paper to establish the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on liking for a range of common non-alcoholic beverages, in a large population-based sample of older adolescent twins. Researchers analysed data from nearly 3,000 individuals from the Twins Early Development Study, a cohort of 18-19-year-old British twins born between 1994 and 1996. Beverage preferences were measured using a self-report questionnaire of seven non-alcoholic beverages: soft drinks, 'diet' soft drinks (artificially sweetened); fruit squash, orange juice, milk, coffee, and tea. Overall the findings identified that genetic influences on beverage preferences varied slightly by drink type; ranging from 18% for orange juice, 36% for soft drinks, 41% for tea, to 42% for fruit squash. The individual's unique environment dominated as the strongest influence in shaping liking for these beverages. "We found that variation in beverage preferences in adolescence are influenced by genetic and unique environmental influences.