Background: Non-alcoholic energy drinks (‘energy drinks’) are high in caffeine and sugar, leading to concerns regarding their suitability for young people. Despite this, marketing of energy drinks is often directed at adolescents, and there are no restrictions on the sale of these products.
Aim: To examine patterns in consumption of energy drinks among Australian secondary school students and identify demographic and behavioural correlates associated with weekly consumption.
Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 8,888 students in Years 8 to 11 (aged 12-17 years) who participated in the 2012-13 National Secondary Students’ Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey. Students’ self-completed an online questionnaire assessing their eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours and their height and weight was measured.
Results: Overall, 13% of students reported consuming energy drinks on a weekly basis. A further 18% indicated that they consume less than a cup a week of these types of drinks, while just over two-thirds (69%) reported that they do not consume energy drinks. In multivariable analysis, weekly consumption of energy drinks was independently associated with male gender, lower socio-economic position (SEP), having at least $40 per week of spending money; high intakes of fast food and other sugar-sweetened beverages, and short sleep duration. There was no independent association with body weight or other demographic characteristics (i.e. year level, geographic location), eating behaviours (i.e. consumption of vegetables, fruit, snack foods or fruit juice), or physical activity and television viewing habits.
Conclusion: While the majority of adolescents do not consume energy drinks, regular consumption is more prevalent among low SEP males and appears to cluster with other unhealthy behaviours. Given there is growing evidence of the potential health harms of energy drinks for young people, improved education is needed along with restrictions on the marketing and sale of these products to adolescents.