Background/Purpose The use of energy drinks has increased over the past decade particularly among college students. The present study examines the health related behaviors of college students who consume energy drinks.
Method A purposive sample (N = 189), who currently consume energy drinks, responded to a 10-item questionnaire which assessed a variety of health-related behaviors.
Analysis/Results The average of age of first consumption of energy drinks was 17.53 (SD = 1.90). Interestingly, the majority (84%) reported that they consumed three or fewer energy drinks per week. The majority of energy drink consumers (82%) admitted to current alcohol consumption. Of those, most (31%) consume alcohol 2 to 3 times per week. Energy drink consumers stated that they got an average of 5.59 hours of sleep each night during the week (SD = 2.73) and an average of 6.14 hours of sleep per night during the weekend (SD = 3.36). Participants stated that they took an average of 2.17 naps per week (SD = 1.84) and averaged 2.52 hours of napping per week (SD = 3.02). Participants averaged 3.38 hours of aerobic exercise per week (SD = 2.92). Only 19% and 10% could correctly identify the caffeine content of 12 ounces of coffee and a soft drink, respectively, while 35% could identify the caffeine content of 12 ounces of an energy drink.
Conclusions This research provides a comprehensive view of the health profile of college students who consume energy drinks. Additional research should be directed toward investigating energy drink consumption, academic performance, and frequency of illness.