Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: a rapid review examining evidence of physical effects and consumer attitudes

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine patterns of energy drink consumption by children and young people, attitudes towards these drinks, and any associations with health or other outcomes.DesignRapid evidence assessment and narrative synthesis.Data sources9 electronic bibliographic databases, reference lists of relevant studies and searches of the internet.ResultsA total of 410 studies were located, with 46 meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority employed a cross-sectional design, involved participants aged 11–18 years, and were conducted in North America or Europe. Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people was found to be patterned by gender, with boys consuming more than girls, and also by activity levels, with the highest consumption observed in the most and least sedentary individuals. Several studies identified a strong, positive association between the use of energy drinks and higher odds of health-damaging behaviours, as well as physical health symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, hyperactivity and insomnia. There was some evidence of a dose–response effect. 2 experimental studies involving small numbers of junior athletes demonstrated a positive impact on limited aspects of sports performance. 3 themes emerged from the qualitative studies: reasons for use; influences on use; and perceived efficacy and impact. Taste and energy-seeking were identified as key drivers, and branding and marketing were highlighted as major influences on young people's consumption choices. Awareness of possible negative effects was low.ConclusionsThere is growing evidence that consumption of energy drinks is associated with a range of adverse outcomes and risk behaviours in terms of children's health and well-being. However, taste, brand loyalty and perceived positive effects combine to ensure their popularity with young consumers. More research is needed to explore the short-term and long-term impacts in all spheres, including health, behaviour and education.Trial registration numberCRD42014010192.

Caffeine Consumption and General Health in Secondary School Children: A Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Analysis

“…For instance, although an umbrella analysis conducted by Grosso et al (12) reported that coffee and caffeine intake are typically associated with health benefits in adults, findings from the current study showed that high caffeine consumption was (at least at the cross-sectional level) associated with low general health, and that caffeine intake from coffee was not associated with health at all. The observation that caffeine consumed from cola and energy drinks appeared to explain the negative associations is also in line with the findings of a recent review article by Visram et al (36). This paper showed that energy drink consumption in children and young people was associated with higher risk of health-damaging behaviors and physical health symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, insomnia, and hyperactivity, and suggested that such effects might be dose-dependent.…”

Are energy drinks suitable for children?

“…Visram et al . () found energy drink consumption to be positively associated with alcohol use, smoking and susceptibility to other substance use, consistent with findings from an earlier review that consumption of energy drinks amongst adolescents was associated with sensation seeking, binge‐drinking, smoking and use of other harmful substances (Breda et al . ).…”

“…As with research on caffeine intake in children, studies of the impact of energy drinks on the health of children <16 years of age are limited. A recent review of the physical effects and consumer attitudes of energy drink consumption in children and young people highlighted the heterogeneity of studies in this area, noting that many were cross-sectional in design and relied on self-reported data (Visram et al 2016). Of the 410 studies identified within the review, 46 met the criteria for inclusion (i.e.…”

“…human studies conducted in 2000-2016 on energy drink consumption in those aged 17 years and younger). Results indicated that energy drink consumption was associated with the following physiological symptoms in children: headaches, stomach aches, hyperactivity and insomnia (Visram et al 2016). Two studies included in the review suggested that energy drink consumption by junior athletes can have positive effects on some aspects of sports performance (Abian-Vicen et al 2014;Gallo-Salazar et al 2015).…”

Redefining rapid reviews: a flexible framework for restricted systematic reviews

“…So-called ‘rapid reviews’ have been published in a variety of clinical areas, including digital communication,1 children’s consumption of energy drinks,2 sexual health interventions,3 and cannabis cessation 3. Guideline developers have also used them.…”