Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Energy Drink Use Among Adolescents

Gina S A Trapp; Miriam Hurworth; Hayley Christian; Marilyn Bromberg; Justine Howard; Catrina McStay; Karina Allen; Donna Cross; Wendy Oddy; Amelia Harray; David Hammond

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2020.12.013

Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Energy Drink Use Among Adolescents

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022 Mar;54(3):255-262. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.12.013.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Western Australian Department of Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Gina.trapp@telethonkids.org.au.
² Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Law School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
⁵ School of Law, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
⁶ School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Eating Disorders Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
⁷ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
⁸ School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁹ School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 35277222
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.12.013

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlates of adolescent energy drink (ED) use using a socioecological approach to inform future interventions.

Methods: In 2017-2018, 3,688 students attending 25 randomly selected Western Australian secondary schools completed a self-report survey. A backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to construct a model of the most significant individual (n = 12), social (n = 3), and environmental (n = 4) factors associated with being an ED user (ie, past month ED use).

Results: Overall, 18% of participants were ED users. The factors significantly associated with being an ED user included being male (P < 0.001), having a higher disposable income (P < 0.001), perceiving EDs as good for health (P = 0.009), perceiving EDs as safe for someone their age to drink (P < 0.001), having a sensation-seeking personality (P = 0.011), having friends who drink EDs (P < 0.001), having parents who would give them an ED if asked (P < 0.001), and having EDs available at home (P < 0.001).

Conclusions and implications: Initiatives to reduce ED intake among adolescents need to be multifaceted, addressing individual, social, and environmental factors. It is also important that educational interventions target both parents and adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; caffeine; ecological model; energy drinks; parents.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior*
Australia
Energy Drinks*
Female
Humans
Male
Schools
Students