A growing number of Korean adolescents consume energy drinks, which may increase the risk of obesity, anxiety and insomnia. We examined whether poor sleep was associated with energy drink consumption among study participants.

We used a cross-sectional design.

The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey data from 2019.

To determine the association between sleep and energy drink consumption, we compared the independent variables for 50,455 adolescents in Korea (aged 14–19 years) using multivariate logistic regression and sensitivity analyses.

In Korea, 69·5 % adolescents consumed energy drinks, 17·1 % slept for less than 5 h, 22·4 % slept for 5–6 h, 23·8 % slept for 6–7 h, 19·9 % slept for 7–8 h and 16·7 % slept for 8 h or more. Regarding sleep satisfaction, 21·0 % reported sufficient, 32·6 % reported just enough and 46·5 % reported insufficient. Regarding sleep duration, it was found that less than 5 h (OR, 2·36; 95 % CI (2·14, 2·60)) and lower sleep satisfaction (OR, 1·12; 95 % CI (1·03, 1·21)) were highly associated with energy drink consumption, with statistical significance at P < 0·05. Adolescents with lower sleep duration (adjusted OR (aOR), 6·37; 95 % CI (4·72, 8·61)) and a lack of sleep satisfaction (aOR, 1·44; 95 % CI (1·16, 1·78)) reported drinking a high amount of energy drinks, that is, at least once a day.

In addition to efforts to decrease the amount of energy drinks consumed, sleep hygiene education needs to be strengthened.

To examine energy drink consumption among adolescents in the UK and associations with deprivation and dietary inequalities.

Quantitative dietary and demographic data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) repeated cross-sectional survey were analysed using logistic regression models. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

UK.

Quantitative data: nationally representative sample of 2587 adolescents aged 11–18 years. Qualitative data: 20 parents, 9 teachers and 28 adolescents from Hampshire, UK.

NDNS data showed adolescents’ consumption of energy drinks was associated with poorer dietary quality (OR 0·46 per sd; 95 % CI (0·37, 0·58); P < 0·001). Adolescents from more deprived areas and lower income households were more likely to consume energy drinks than those in more affluent areas and households (OR 1·40; 95 % CI (1·16, 1·69); P < 0·001; OR 0·98 per £1000; 95 % CI (0·96, 0·99); P < 0·001, respectively). Between 2008 and 2016, energy drink consumption among adolescents living in the most deprived areas increased, but decreased among those living in the most affluent neighbourhoods (P = 0·04). Qualitative data identified three themes. First, many adolescents drink energy drinks because of their friends and because the unbranded drinks are cheap. Second, energy drink consumption clusters with other unhealthy eating behaviours and adolescents do not know why energy drinks are unhealthy. Third, adolescents believe voluntary bans in retail outlets and schools do not work.

This study supports the introduction of age-dependent legal restrictions on the sale of energy drinks which may help curb existing socio-economic disparities in adolescents’ energy drink intake.

Energy drinks are consumed for a variety of reasons, including to boost mental alertness and energy. We assessed associations between demographic factors and various high-risky behaviours with energy drink consumption as they may be linked to adverse health events.

We conducted cross-sectional analysis including basic descriptive and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses to characterise demographic and behavioural factors (including diet quality, binge drinking and illicit drug use, among others obtained via questionnaires) in relation to energy drink consumption.

We used data from two large US-based cohorts.

46 390 participants from Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3, n 37 302; ages 16–31) and Growing Up Today Study (GUTS, n 9088, ages 20–55).

Of the 46 390 participants, 13·2 % reported consuming ≥ 1 energy drink every month. Several risky behaviours were associated with energy drink use, including illegal drug use (pooled OR, pOR: 1·45, 95 % CI: 1·16, 1·81), marijuana use (pOR: 1·49, 95 % CI: 1·28, 1·73), smoking (pOR: 1·88. 95 % CI: 1·55, 2·29), tanning bed use (pOR: 2·31, 95 % CI: 1·96, 2·72) and binge drinking (pOR: 2·53, 95 % CI: 2·09, 3·07). Other factors, such as high BMI, e-cigarette use and poor diet quality were found to be significantly associated with higher energy drink consumption (P values < 0·001).

Our findings show that energy drink consumption and high-risk behaviours may be related, which could potentially serve as not only as a talking point for providers to address in outreach and communications with patients, but also a warning sign for medical and other health practitioners.

To compare and evaluate the prevalence of food and beverage marketing on the livestreaming platforms Twitch, Facebook Gaming and YouTube Gaming, as well as examine growth of food and beverage marketing on these platforms over a 17-month period of data collection.

Cross-sectional data were analysed across three livestreaming platforms and six food and beverage categories: alcohol, candy, energy drinks, snacks, sodas and restaurants.

Stream titles of livestreamed events as well as corresponding hours watched on Twitch, Facebook Gaming and YouTube Gaming.

None.

There were significant differences between the use of food and beverage brand mentions in stream titles across all three studied platforms (P < 0·05), as well as hours watched across platforms (P < 0·05). Energy drinks dominated food and beverage brand mentions across platforms, followed by restaurants, soda and snacks. All platforms demonstrated growth over the 17-month data collection period. Post-hoc analyses revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted both immediate and sustained growth across all platforms, with the greatest impact observed on the Twitch platform.

Food and beverage marketing as measured through stream titles is widely prevalent across the three most popular livestreaming platforms, particularly for energy drinks. Food marketing on these platforms experienced growth over the past 17 months which was accelerated substantially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Future work should assess the sustained impact this growth may have on marketing practices and eating behaviour.

To investigate the association between energy drink (ED) use and sleep-related disturbances in a population-based sample of young adults from the Raine Study.

Analysis of cross-sectional data obtained from self-administered questionnaires to assess ED use and sleep disturbance (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ-10) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Symptoms Questionnaire–Insomnia (PSSQ-I)). Regression modelling was used to estimate the effect of ED use on sleep disturbances. All models adjusted for various potential confounders.

Western Australia.

Males and females, aged 22 years, from Raine Study Gen2–22 year follow-up.

Of the 1115 participants, 66 % were never/rare users (i.e. <once/month) of ED, 17·0 % were occasional users (i.e. >once/month to <once/week) and 17 % were frequent users (≥once/week). Compared with females, a greater proportion of males used ED occasionally (19 % v. 15 %) or frequently (24 % v. 11 %). Among females, frequent ED users experienced significantly higher symptoms of daytime sleepiness (FOSQ-10: β = 0·93, 95 % CI 0·32, 1·54, P = 0·003) and were five times more likely to experience insomnia (PSSQ-I: OR = 5·10, 95 % CI 1·81, 14·35, P = 0·002) compared with never/rare users. No significant associations were observed in males for any sleep outcomes.

We found a positive association between ED use and sleep disturbances in young adult females. Given the importance of sleep for overall health, and ever-increasing ED use, intervention strategies are needed to curb ED use in young adults, particularly females. Further research is needed to determine causation and elucidate reasons for gender-specific findings.

To evaluate the prevalence of food and beverage marketing on Twitch.tv (Twitch), a social media platform where individuals broadcast live audiovisual material to millions of daily users.

Observational analysis of the prevalence of 238 food and beverage brands in five distinct categories (processed snacks; food delivery services and restaurants; candies, energy drinks/coffees/teas; and sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages) over the course of 18 months.

Twitch streamer profiles and stream titles between January 2018 and July 2019. Twitch chat room messages during July 2019.

None.

There was a significant increase in brand exposure on Twitch both in stream titles (sodas and candies, P < 0·05) and on streamer profiles (sodas, restaurants/food delivery services, candies, and energy drinks/coffees/teas, P < 0·05) over the 18-month study period. Energy drinks, coffees and teas had the most exposure with 1·08 billion exposure hours from profiles and 83 million exposure hours from titles. Restaurants/food delivery services and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently mentioned products in chat rooms with 1·24 million messages and 1·10 million messages, respectively.

This study is the first to demonstrate the extent by which food and beverage brands garner millions of hours of exposure on Twitch. Future studies should evaluate the impact that this level of exposure to nutrient-poor, energy-dense products may have on behavioural and health outcomes.

To examine the relationships between objectively measured sleep patterns (sleep duration, sleep efficiency and bedtime) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption (regular soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit juice) among children from all inhabited continents of the world.

Multinational, cross-sectional study.

The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE).

Children (n 5873) 9–11 years of age.

Sleep duration was 12 min per night shorter in children who reported consuming regular soft drinks ‘at least once a day’ compared with those who reported consuming ‘never’ or ‘less than once a week’. Children were more likely to sleep the recommended 9–11 h/night if they reported lower regular soft drink consumption or higher sports drinks consumption. Children who reported consuming energy drinks ‘once a week or more’ reported a 25-min earlier bedtime than those who reported never consuming energy drinks. Children who reported consuming sports drinks ‘2–4 d a week or more’ also reported a 25-min earlier bedtime compared with those who reported never consuming sports drinks. The associations between sleep efficiency and SSB consumption were not significant. Similar associations between sleep patterns and SSB consumption were observed across all twelve study sites.

Shorter sleep duration was associated with higher intake of regular soft drinks, while earlier bedtimes were associated with lower intake of regular soft drinks and higher intake of energy drinks and sports drinks in this international study of children. Future work is needed to establish causality and to investigate underlying mechanisms.

To test the associations between sleep indices and eating behaviours in young adults, a group vulnerable to suboptimal sleep.

Cross-sectional analysis of survey measures of sleep (i.e. time in bed, variability, timing and quality) and dietary patterns (i.e. breakfast skipping, eating at fast-food restaurants, consumption of sports and energy drinks, and sugar-free, sugar-sweetened and caffeinated beverages).

Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota (USA).

A total of 1854 respondents (20–30 years, 55·6 % female) from the 2008–2009 survey conducted for the third wave of the population-based Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) study.

After adjustment for demographic and behavioural covariates in linear regression models, those who went to bed after 00.30 hours consumed 0·3 more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day, consumed 1·7 times more energy drinks, skipped breakfast 1·8 more times per week and consumed fast food 0·3 more times per week compared with those who went to bed before 22.30 hours. Reported sleep quality in the lowest (Q1) v. highest (Q3) tertile was associated with more intake of energy drinks (Q3 v. Q1, prevalence ratio, 95 % CI: 1·79, 1·24, 2·34), sports drinks (1·28, 1·00, 1·55) and breakfast skipping (adjusted mean, 95 % CI: Q1: 4·03, 3·81, 4·26; Q3: 3·43, 3·17, 3·69). Time in bed and sleep variability were associated with few eating behaviours.

Some, but not all, sleep indices were related to problematic eating behaviours. Sleep habits may be important to address in interventions and policies that target improvements in eating patterns and health outcomes.

To examine exposure to energy drink marketing among youth and young adults, and test perceptions of energy drink advertisements (ads) regarding target audience age and promoting energy drink use during sports.

A between-group experiment randomly assigned respondents to view one of four energy drink ads (sport-themed or control) and assessed perceptions of the ad. Regression models examined marketing exposure and perceptions.

Online survey (2014).

Canadians aged 12–24 years (n 2040) from a commercial panel.

Overall, 83 % reported ever seeing energy drink ads through at least one channel, including on television (60 %), posters/signs in stores (49 %) and online (44 %). Across experimental conditions, most respondents (70·1 %) thought the ad they viewed targeted people their age or younger, including 42·2 % of those aged 12–14 years. Two sport-themed ads were more likely to be perceived as targeting a younger audience (adjusted OR (95 % CI): ‘X Games’ 36·5 %, 4·16 (3·00, 5·77); ‘snowboard’ 19·2 %, 1·50 (1·06, 2·13)) v. control (13·3 %). Participants were more likely to believe an ad promoted energy drink use during sports if they viewed any sport-themed ad (‘X Games’ 69·9 %, 8·29 (6·24, 11·02); ‘snowboard’ 76·7 %, 11·85 (8·82, 15·92); ‘gym’ 66·8 %, 7·29 (5·52, 9·64)) v. control (22·0 %). Greater reported exposure to energy drink marketing was associated with perceiving study ads as promoting energy drink use during sports.

Energy drink marketing has a high reach among young people. Ads for energy drinks were perceived as targeting youth and promoting use during sports. Such ads may be perceived as making physical performance claims, counter to Canadian regulations.

To describe the caffeine and sugar content of all energy drinks available on the island of Ireland.

Two retail outlets were selected from each of: multinational, convenience and discount stores in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and all available single-serve energy drinks were purchased. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2015 and brand name, price, volume, caffeine and sugar content were recorded for each product. Descriptive analysis was performed.

Seventy-eight products were identified on the island of Ireland (regular, n 59; diet/sugar-free/light, n 19). Caffeine and sugar content was in the range of 14–35 mg and 2·9–15·6 g per 100 ml, respectively. Mean caffeine content of 102·2 mg per serving represents 25·6 % of the maximum intake advised for adults by the European Food Safety Authority. Per serving, mean sugar content of regular energy drinks was 37 g. This exceeds WHO recommendations for maximum daily sugar intake of <5 % of total energy intake (25 g for adults consuming 8368 kJ (2000 kcal) diet). If displaying front-of-pack labelling, fifty-seven of the fifty-nine regular energy drinks would receive a Food Standards Agency ‘red’ colour-coded label for sugar.

Energy drinks are freely available on the island of Ireland and all products surveyed can be defined as highly caffeinated products. This has potential health issues particularly for children and adolescents where safe limits of caffeine have not been determined. Energy drinks surveyed also contained high levels of sugar and could potentially contribute to weight gain and adverse dental health effects.

National data for the USA show increases in sports and energy drink consumption over the past decade with the largest increases among young adults aged 20–34 years. The present study aimed to identify sociodemographic factors and health-risk behaviours associated with sports and energy drink consumption among young adults.

Cross-sectional analysis of survey data from the third wave of a cohort study (Project EAT-III: Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults). Regression models stratified on gender and adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were used to examine associations of sports and energy drink consumption with eating behaviours, physical activity, media use, weight-control behaviours, sleep patterns and substance use.

Participants completed baseline surveys in 1998–1999 as students at public secondary schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA and the EAT-III surveys online or by mail in 2008–2009.

The sample consisted of 2287 participants (55 % female, mean age 25·3 years).

Results showed 31·0 % of young adults consumed sports drinks and 18·8 % consumed energy drinks at least weekly. Among men and women, sports drink consumption was associated with higher sugar-sweetened soda and fruit juice intake, video game use and use of muscle-enhancing substances like creatine (P≤0·01). Energy drink consumption was associated with lower breakfast frequency and higher sugar-sweetened soda intake, video game use, use of unhealthy weight-control behaviours, trouble sleeping and substance use among men and women (P<0·05).

Health professionals should consider the clustering of sports and energy drink consumption with other unhealthy behaviours in the design of programmes and services for young adults.