Abstract
Consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has been associated with various alcohol-related consequences among college students. However, more information is required to assess how this relationship is affected by sociodemographic and environmental factors. This paper investigates the association between AmED consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences while (1) stratifying AmED users by sex, (2) examining a range of outcomes specific to the college context (e.g., missing class), and (3) controlling for drinking frequency and amount. We surveyed and analyzed the data of 4592 students in a nationally representative sample of 82 colleges in South Korea. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the association between AmED use and a number of alcohol-related consequences (ranging from a score of 0–12) while adjusting for covariates, including drinking frequency and intake per drinking session. Of our study population, 22.0% of alcohol-consuming men and 13.4% of alcohol-consuming women reported AmED consumption in the past 12 months. AmED users experienced a greater number of alcohol-related consequences (e.g., missing class, engaging in unplanned sexual activity) than non-AmED users (men β: 0.804, p ≤ 0.0001; women β: 0.522, p ≤ 0.0001). Male AmED users consuming alcohol once a month (β: 1.155, p ≤ 0.0001) and female users consuming less than once a month (β: 1.019, p ≤ 0.0001) experienced the greatest number of consequences compared to non-users, as did AmED users consuming 3–4 drinks per drinking session (men β: 1.012, p ≤ 0.0001; women β: 0.993, p ≤ 0.0001). Our findings reveal that both male and female college students who consume AmED experience a greater number of negative alcohol-related consequences than those who do not. Rather than high-risk drinkers, moderate drinkers who consume alcohol infrequently and/or in low amounts may experience more consequences when consumers of AmED.
Highlights
Alcohol consumption among college students contributes to a range of negative alcohol-related consequences
The mean number of consequences experienced by non-alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) users was 2.421 (SD: 1.511) for men and 2.581 (SD: 1.611)
AmED consumption was associated with increased odds of the following alcohol-related consequences: have a hangover, do something you regret, miss a class, forget where you were or what you did, get behind in school work, argue with friends, engage in unplanned sexual activity, get hurt or injured, damage property, be sexually assaulted, or get into trouble with campus or local police
Summary
Alcohol consumption among college students contributes to a range of negative alcohol-related consequences. In the United States each year, approximately 1825 deaths (e.g., from homicides, motor-vehicle crashes, and suicides), 97,000 sexual assaults, and 600,000 injuries are alcohol-related [1]. In South Korea, around 10.8% of deaths among college students are attributed to alcohol, while more than 50% of colleges experience alcohol-related problems such as campus vandalism and violence by intoxicated students [2]. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 1127; doi:10.3390/ijerph16071127 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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