Citation

Emond JA, Gilbert-Diamond D, Tanski SE, Sargent JD. J. Pediatr. 2014; 165(6): 1194-1200.

Affiliation

Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH; Department of Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.08.050

PMID

25294603

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between energy drink use and hazardous alcohol use among a national sample of adolescents and young adults. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of 3342 youth aged 15-23 years recruited for a national survey about media and alcohol use. Energy drink use was defined as recent use or ever mixed-use with alcohol. Outcomes were ever alcohol use and 3 hazardous alcohol use outcomes measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): ever consuming 6 or more drinks at once (6+ binge drinking) and clinical criteria for hazardous alcohol use as defined for adults (8+AUDIT) and for adolescents (4+AUDIT).

RESULTS: Among 15-17 year olds (n = 1508), 13.3% recently consumed an energy drink, 9.7% ever consumed an energy drink mixed with alcohol, and 47.1% ever drank alcohol. Recent energy drink use predicted ever alcohol use among 15-17-year-olds only (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.77-3.77). Of these 15-17-year-olds, 17% met the 6+ binge drinking criteria, 7.2% met the 8+AUDIT criteria, and 16.0% met the 4+AUDIT criteria. Rates of energy drink use and all alcohol use outcomes increased with age. Ever mixed-use with alcohol predicted 6+ binge drinking (OR 4.69; 95% CI 3.70-5.94), 8+AUDIT (OR 3.25; 95% CI 2.51-4.21), and 4+AUDIT (OR 4.15; 95% CI 3.27-5.25) criteria in adjusted models among all participants, with no evidence of modification by age.

CONCLUSIONS: Positive associations between energy drink use and hazardous alcohol use behaviors are not limited to youth in college settings.

Language: en