Prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Energy Drink Consumption among University Students in Turkey

Abstract

The global consumption of Energy Drinks (EDs) has been increasing over recent years. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of EDs consumption among university students, and to investigate the relationship between their eating habits and lifestyles. This was a single-center, cross-sectional study and conducted with 705 students receiving university education on health care at Afyon Kocatepe University, in Western Turkey. Data was collected using the face-to-face interviewing technique. The normally-distributed continuous variables obtained from independent measurements were analyzed using the independent samples 't' test and non-normally distributed data was analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test. Of the 705 students included in the study, 226 (32.1%) were males and 479 (67.9%) were females. The mean age was 20.76 ± 1.89 years (min-max: 18-32). Of all the students, 28 (39.9%) were found to consume ED. Students who did not consume EDs had healthier dietary habits, exercised more regularly, and afforded more time for social activities. The findings of the present study indicated that the students had limited information on the contents of EDs and the reasons for use. Students who had not consumed EDs were found to have healthier eating habits and more regular studying programs. This study should be replicated in larger samples and based on findings various educational programs should be designed to increase awareness among students on ED consumption.