The consumption of sweetened foods is influenced by a variety of biolo
gical, psychological, sociological, and environmental factors. On an i
ndividual level, taste preference for sweetness has been shown to have
an influence on food consumption, although this may be affected by so
cial and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to assess th
e taste preference for sweetness in urban and rural populations in Ira
q. The hypothesis was that sweet preference and the consumption of sug
ar increase with urbanization. The sample was composed of 4152 individ
uals who were divided into urban and rural subgroups based on their pl
ace of residence. Sweet preference was assessed by means of a tested S
weet Preference Inventory. Results revealed statistically significant
differences between urban and rural populations in preference for swee
tness and in actual sugar consumption. Individuals from urban location
s showed a much higher preference for sweetness than their rural count
erparts and consumed more sugar. Within the urban population, those in
dividuals who had lived in the city longer and who were from families
with lower educational qualifications preferred the highest levels of
sugar. The findings support the hypothesis that urbanization influence
s sweet preference and sugar consumption.