Associations between early adolescent caffeine consumption and use of other licit and illicit substances, impulsivity, and conduct disorder

Objective: Little attention has been given to caffeine’s possible relation to other substance use, conduct disorder symptoms, and sensation seeking. Since use of substances in adolescence is often predictive of the development of mental disorders later in life (McGue, Iacono, Legrand, Malone, & Elkins, 2001), better understanding caffeine’s relationship to these disorders and use of these other substances during this period of development is important. Method: The sample consists of 6th and 7th grade students (n=144) attending a charter school in Camden, New Jersey. Three waves of data, approximately 4 months apart, were collected using questionnaires. Linear and logistic regressions and survival analyses were conducted to assess relationships. Results: At T1, all four types of caffeine use were consistently associated with all of the outcome variables. However, by T3, frequency of energy drink consumption was the only beverage consistently associated with other substance use, SS, and CD symptomatology. Frequencies of coffee, tea, and energy drink consumption were associated with earlier ages of first use of alcohol. Longitudinal analyses found that higher frequencies of coffee and energy drink consumption at T1 predicted increases in frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking by T3. Conclusions: Frequencies of coffee and energy drink consumption in early adolescence predicts later alcohol use and binge drinking.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesby Elisa Rose Miyak