Association between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and obesity is universally a controversial issue. This study was undertaken to examine the beverage consumption pattern of Korean adolescents.

Data was collected from the 2016 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey involving 65,528 adolescent respondents. A list of the most frequently consumed beverages was analyzed, and the consumption frequency of carbonated beverages, SSBs, and energy drinks during the past seven-days was assessed. The main reasons for the adolescents to consume the beverages were also determined.

The beverage preference of adolescents were carbonated beverages (31.0%), ‘fruit and vegetable beverages (17.7%)’, ‘milk (13.6%)’, and ‘coffee (12.7%)’. Carbonated beverages and SSBs were consumed more than three times a week by 27.1% and 41.1% of the respondents, respectively. About 86.2% of adolescents did not take of any energy drinks during the last seven-days. Taste was the most common reason that adolescents considered when choosing a drink. Carbonated beverages consumed more frequently by boys than girls, and high school students drank coffee more frequently than middle school students.

Boys had a higher preference for unhealthy beverages than girls, whereas consumption of high-caffeine drinks was greater amongst high-school students than middle school students.