Caffeine Use among Active Duty Navy and Marine Corps Personnel

Abstract

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate 89% of Americans regularly consume caffeine, but these data do not include military personnel. This cross-sectional study examined caffeine use in Navy and Marine Corps personnel, including prevalence, amount of daily consumption, and factors associated with use. A random sample of Navy and Marine Corps personnel was contacted and asked to complete a detailed questionnaire describing their use of caffeine-containing substances, in addition to their demographic, military, and lifestyle characteristics. A total of 1708 service members (SMs) completed the questionnaire. Overall, 87% reported using caffeinated beverages ≥1 time/week, with caffeine users consuming a mean ± standard error of 226 ± 5 mg/day (242 ± 7 mg/day for men, 183 ± 8 mg/day for women). The most commonly consumed caffeinated beverages (% users) were coffee (65%), colas (54%), teas (40%), and energy drinks (28%). Multivariable logistic regression modeling indicated that characteristics independently associated with caffeine use (≥1 time/week) included older age, white race/ethnicity, higher alcohol consumption, and participating in less resistance training. Prevalence of caffeine use in these SMs was similar to that reported in civilian investigations, but daily consumption (mg/day) was higher.

Caffeine and energy drink use by combat arms soldiers in Afghanistan as a countermeasure for sleep loss and high operational demands

“…25 Consistent with previous reports, older soldiers, and those of higher rank were more likely to consume caffeine in the form of coffee. 22,26 Tobacco use was significantly associated with caffeine intake, an association reported previously for U.S. military personnel regardless of beverage source, and in multiple civilian surveys. 1 It should be noted that direct comparison of caffeine intake as assessed by the two datasets is not possible since they used somewhat different procedures.…”

“…A few soldiers reported intakes of over 2000 mg. Daily caffeine intake was higher than reported previously for U.S. military personnel who were largely drawn from non-deployed Army, Navy, and Marine units and did not address the impact of military assignment and combat on caffeine consumption. 22,26 In the current study, average caffeine intake from energy drinks represented 70% of total daily intake for soldiers in combat units assessed by the J-MHAT 8 survey and 55% of total caffeine intake among combat arms personnel participating in the USARIEM Deployment Survey. Over 60% of the combat arms soldiers (USARIEM Deployment Survey) or soldiers in combat maneuver units (J-MHAT 8 survey) reported consuming these drinks.…”

“…[21][22][23][24] Recent findings from surveys of non-deployed and deployed U.S. military members suggest that consumption of energy drinks increases during deployment. 24,25 Prevalence for consuming at least 1 energy drink per week is reported to vary from 28 to 38% for non-deployed military service members 23,26 but higher daily rates have been reported by Toblin et al 25 (45%) and Waits et al 24 (81%) during combat deployments in Afghanistan. Some surveys of U.S. military personnel have indicated that consumers of energy drinks report problems with sleep disruption or difficulty falling asleep.…”

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta‐analysis

“…Surveys among U.S. students and young adults reported AMED consumption to vary from 8.1% to 64.7% of their cohorts (Berger, Fendrich, & Fuhrman, ; Emond, Gilbert‐Diamond, Tanski, & Sargent, ; Gonzales, Largo, Miller, Kanny, & Brewer, ; Housman, Williams, & Woolsey, ; Martz, Patrick, & Schulenberg, ; Marzell, Turrisi, Mallett, Ray, & Scaglione, ; Miller, ; Patrick, Macuada, & Maggs, ; Rutledge, Bestrashniy, & Nelson, ; Snipes & Benotsch, ; Snipes, Green, Javier, Perrin, & Benotsch, ; Snipes, Jeffers, Green, & Benotsch, ). Among U.S. active‐duty Navy and Marine Corps, 28% reported consuming AMED (Knapik et al, ). Reported rates of past year AMED consumption were considerably lower among Canadian student samples, ranging from 17.3% to 20% (Azagba, Langille, & Asbridge, ; Milicic & Leatherdale, ; Reid, Hammond, McCrory, Dubin, & Leatherdale, ).…”

Daily Patterns of Caffeine Intake and the Association of Intake with Multiple Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors in US Adults Based on the NHANES 2007–2012 Surveys

“…The amount of caffeine consumed was estimated from consumption of all caffeine-containing foods and beverages, including energy drinks, but did not include dietary supplements and medications, which are minor sources of caffeine in the diet. 31,32 Participants were asked whether the beverages they consumed were caffeine free. The most up-to-date database provided by the US Department of Agriculture contains codes for 109 coffee drinks (including brewed, instant, espresso, etc), 45 different tea drinks (including hot/ iced, black/green tea), and 21 energy drinks and provides detailed data on the composition of these beverages.…”