Abstract
Purpose
This study examined relationships between energy drink consumption and problem behaviors
among adolescents and emerging adults. It was hypothesized that frequent consumption
of energy drinks would be positively associated with substance abuse and other risky
behaviors, and that these relationships would be moderated by race.
Methods
Cross-sectional, self-report survey data were collected from 602 Western New York
undergraduate students in the spring of 2006. Differences in problem behaviors by
frequency of energy drink consumption were assessed with multivariate linear and logistic
regressions, controlling for gender, race, age, parental education, and college grade
point average. Follow-up regressions were conducted to test for a moderating effect
of race.
Results
Frequency of energy drink consumption was positively associated with marijuana use,
sexual risk-taking, fighting, seatbelt omission, and taking risks on a dare for the
sample as a whole, and associated with smoking, drinking, alcohol problems, and illicit
prescription drug use for white students but not for black students.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that energy drink consumption is closely associated with a
problem behavior syndrome, particularly among whites. Frequent consumption of energy
drinks may serve as a useful screening indicator to identify students at risk for
substance use and/or other health-compromising behavior.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 16, 2008
Accepted:
March 6,
2008
Received:
October 25,
2007
Footnotes
This research was supported by NIDA Grant DA016581.
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Society for Adolescent Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
