Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: a rapid review

Consumption of Energy Drinks by Children and Young People: Rapid Review Summary (BMJ Open, 2016)
Study Overview
• Rapid evidence assessment examining energy drink consumption in children and young people aged 0–18 years.
• 410 studies identified; 46 met inclusion criteria.
• Majority were cross-sectional studies involving ages 11–18.
• Studies primarily conducted in North America and Europe.
• Examined associations with health, behavioural, social and educational outcomes, dose–response relationships, and attitudes toward consumption.
Prevalence and Consumption Patterns
• Young people aged 10–18 had the highest consumption prevalence in Europe (68%).
• UK youth reported higher intake than many EU counterparts.
• Boys consistently consumed more than girls.
• Highest intake observed among both highly active youth and highly sedentary youth (high screen time).
• Consumption associated with higher disposable income, lower parental monitoring, lower academic performance, single-parent households, and special educational needs.
Health and Behavioural Associations
• Strong positive associations with alcohol use, binge drinking, and mixing alcohol with energy drinks.
• Associated with smoking, susceptibility to smoking, cannabis use, and other substance use.
• Linked to sensation-seeking and risky behaviours.
• Physical symptoms associated with consumption include headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems, fatigue, hyperactivity, irritability, and increased blood pressure.
• Higher odds of traumatic brain injury reported among consumers.
• Evidence of dose–response relationship, with higher intake linked to increased health symptoms.
Poison Centre and Toxicity Data
• Thousands of poison centre calls linked to energy drink exposure.
• Younger children more likely to experience accidental ingestion.
• Adolescents more likely to report intentional use and moderate or serious effects.
• Reported symptoms include rapid heart rate, hypertension, tremors, nausea, vomiting, hyperthermia, and cardiac rhythm disturbances.
Sports Performance Findings
• Two small experimental studies in junior athletes showed improvements in jump height, sprint performance, handgrip strength, and perceived endurance.
• No improvement observed in precision-based performance measures.
• Increased sweat rate and dehydration observed in one study.
• Findings limited by small sample sizes.
Psychological and Cognitive Associations
• Increased hyperactivity and inattention symptoms reported.
• Problems with executive functioning among high consumers.
• Sleep disruption partly mediates other health symptoms.
• Energy drink use predicted later alcohol use in longitudinal studies.
Attitudes and Motivations
• Primary reasons for use include taste, desire for energy, staying awake for school or socialising, sports performance, mixing with alcohol, and curiosity.
• Major influences include marketing, branding, sports sponsorship, peer influence, parental influence, and easy availability.
• Limited awareness of health risks and ingredients.
• Often perceived as similar to soft drinks and generally considered safe if commercially available.
Overall Conclusions
• Energy drink consumption in children and adolescents is associated with adverse physical symptoms and health-risk behaviours.
• Behavioural clustering observed, with energy drink use linked to other risk behaviours.
• Limited high-quality longitudinal research available.
• Further research needed on long-term health, developmental, and educational impacts