Energy Drink Consumption Among Boise State University Students

The purpose of this exploratory study was to study energy drink consumption among Boise State University students. A convenience sample of 106 participants was recruited from the Boise State University student population. Surveys were administered in a classroom setting during October 2008 with instructor permission. Participation was voluntary, and each participant was given the option to decline or withdraw from the survey. After agreeing to participate in the survey, students were given a paper questionnaire. An incentive was offered for participation. Students were instructed to complete the survey to the best of their abilities, leaving any questions blank they did not feel comfortable answering. Once the surveys were complete, the survey administrator collected the surveys and placed them in an envelope for submission and data analysis. Students were able to select from the five top reasons found in the literature for energy drink consumption in this age group. The primary reason that college students reported consuming energy drinks was to mix with alcohol, with 37.7% of respondents noting this reason. The second most common reason was to stay awake while studying (35.8% of participants). 36.8% of participants reported drinking at least one energy drink per month. 26.4% of participants reported never drinking energy drinks. 2.8% reported drinking at least one energy drink per day. The most commonly perceived side effect reported by energy drink consumers was the “jolt” (increased energy or alertness) with 53.8% of participants noting this effect. All other effects, mostly considered negative (crash, jitters, racing heart), were reported by over 20% of participants. This study was approved by the Boise State Human Subjects Research and Institutional Review Board #193-09-021