Exclusive bottled water consumption in New York city: Population characteristics and implications

Background: Over the past decade, bottled water consumption has increased dramatically. Although fluoridated drinking water is effective at reducing the risk of dental caries, most bottled water includes little to no fluoride and most bottled water companies are not required to provide information about fluoridation. Purpose: Without fluoridation from tap water, exclusive bottled water drinkers may unknowingly be at greater risk of dental caries. Previous research indicates oral health racial disparities. This study will describe the characteristics of New York City (NYC) residents who exclusively drink bottled water and the factors associated with exclusive bottled water consumption. Methodology: A cross-sectional, phone-based survey was conducted in both English and Spanish using random digit dialing sampling of landlines and cell-phone-based phone numbers. A total of 2,075 adults were surveyed. Responses were weighted to be representative of the NYC population. Water consumption questions were part of a 15-minute survey inquiring about sugary drink consumption and assessing support for beverage policies. Findings: More respondents reported that bottled water tastes better (33% vs. 19%) and is safer (34% vs. 18%) than NYC tap water and 31% of water drinkers reported drinking bottled water exclusively. We found statistically significant differences in perceptions of safety and taste by race and ethnicity (p< 0.001). Logistic regression model found blacks, foreign born and those who are not recipients of SNAP to be positively associated (p< 0.05) with exclusive bottled water consumption. Conclusions: Targeted outreach to black and foreign-born communities may be increasingly necessary to address oral health disparities.