Caffeinated Alcohol Use in a Daily Context

Caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) use is associated with a range of substance-related problems. Few have examined socio-environmental and cognitive factors that may relate to CAB use and influence associations between use and negative consequences. Moreover, much research on CABs has been based on cross-sectional and retrospective reports, which can be subject to recall biases. The current research aimed to address the gaps in our understanding of use patterns by conducting a daily diary study. Participants were 122 (73.8% women) heavy drinking, college student CAB users. Mean age was 20.39 (SD = 2.08) years. Students completed a baseline questionnaire and up to 14 consecutive, daily surveys about last night’s drinking behavior. Multilevel modeling results indicated that CAB days were linked with greater odds of drinking at a bar/club, pre-gaming behavior, and drinking around others. CAB days were associated with greater likelihood of experiencing an alcohol-related harm, beyond the amount of alcohol consumed and trait impulsivity. This study was the first to examine CAB use patterns in a within-subjects, longitudinal daily diary design. CABs appear to be consumed socially and in potentially risky contexts. Importantly, use of CABs is related to greater odds of experiencing negative consequences. Future research investigating use patterns may benefit from more fine-grained approaches to develop efficacious prevention and intervention efforts geared toward reducing CAB-related risks