Energy drink consumption among Australian adolescents associated with a cluster of unhealthy dietary behaviours and short sleep duration

Abstract

Background Non-alcoholic energy drinks (‘energy drinks’) are high in sugar, as well as caffeine, leading to concerns regarding their suitability for children and adolescents. Despite this, marketing of energy drinks is often directed at adolescents, and there are no age restrictions on the sale of these products in Australia. The current study aimed to examine patterns in consumption of energy drinks among Australian secondary school students and identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates associated with regular consumption. Methods Participants were 8942 students in Years 8 to 11 (aged 12 to 17 years) who participated in the 2018 National Secondary Students’ Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) cross-sectional survey. A multistage stratified random sampling procedure was used. Within the school setting, students self-completed an online questionnaire assessing their dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to examine associations between energy drink consumption and sociodemographic and behavioural factors. Results Overall, 8% of students reported consuming energy drinks on a weekly basis (‘regular consumers’). A further 16% indicated they consume less than one cup per week of these types of drinks, while around three-quarters (76%) reported they do not consume energy drinks. Regular consumption of energy drinks was independently associated with being male, having greater weekly spending money, high intakes of snack foods, fast food, other sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as well as short sleep duration. There was no independent association with other sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., year level, level of disadvantage, geographic location), consumption of vegetables and fruit, physical activity level, or sedentary recreational screen time. Conclusions While most Australian adolescents do not consume energy drinks, regular consumption is more prevalent among males, and consumption appears to cluster with other unhealthy dietary behaviours and short sleep duration. Findings support the need for policies that will reach identified at-risk groups (e.g., increased regulation of the marketing and sale of energy drinks), as well as suggest opportunities for interventions targeting energy drink consumption alongside other unhealthy dietary behaviours.

Too Jittery to Sleep? Temporal Associations of Actigraphic Sleep and Caffeine in Adolescents

“…As both sleep onset and sleep offset were shifted later following caffeinated beverage consumption in the current study, there was no net effect on sleep duration. Previous studies examining the link between caffeine consumption and self-reported sleep duration in adolescents have been mixed [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], while two studies that measured sleep through actigraphy as in the current study found no cross-sectional association between caffeine consumption and sleep [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. It is possible that self-reported and objectively measured sleep duration capture different constructs, and that adolescents who consume more caffeine perceive their sleep to be shorter without an actual difference in sleep duration.…”

“…Specifically, for every extra SD -hour of variability in sleep duration and midpoint, adolescents were 17% and 21% more likely to consume at least one caffeinated beverage on average across monitoring days. We also measured sleep through objective measures, unlike previous studies that measured sleep through self-report [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 32 , 39 ]. Variable sleep schedules may contribute to daytime sleepiness due to circadian misalignment [ 60 ], which could lead to increased caffeinated beverage consumption to maintain alertness.…”

“…The potential negative effects of adolescent caffeine consumption include short sleep duration [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Over 70% of American high schoolers report obtaining fewer than the recommended minimum of 8 h per night [ 20 ].…”

“…Over 70% of American high schoolers report obtaining fewer than the recommended minimum of 8 h per night [ 20 ]. Cross-sectional studies measuring sleep through self-report generally find that adolescents who consume more caffeine have shorter sleep duration [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Some studies with similar designs, however, have found no association between caffeine and sleep duration in adolescents [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Fiber Consumption Mediates Differences in Several Gut Microbes in a Subpopulation of Young Mexican Adults

“…Transition to university in young adults involves a greater autonomy concerning food choices, low food budget, and exposure to new social groups than usual [ 5 , 6 ]. Indeed, the transition from living at home with parents to autonomous university life is often associated with changes such as an increase in alcohol and sugar intake while at the same time a decrease in the consumption of fruits and vegetables [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”