Energy drinks : attitudes, perceptions and consumption in Maltese university students

Abstract

Background: Energy drink (ED) is widely consumed by young adults globally due to their marketed benefits of providing energy, mental clarity, and physical performance. However, recent evidence-based research suggests that these beverages may have acute and chronic health concerns, particularly for younger generations. Despite the popularity of ED’s, there has been limited research on the perceptions and experiences of young consumers regarding these beverages. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the consumption patterns, attitudes and perceptions towards ED among students at the University of Malta (UM). Method: The research survey comprises of 23 questions divided into 6 sections, in a combination of closed/open-ended and Likert scale questions. Following ethical approval and validation process, an adapted and anonymised online questionnaire was disseminated among UM students via registrar as an intermediary and social media platform. Descriptive statistics were used to define demographics, as Chi squared, Friedman and Kruskal- Wallis tests were used for further analysis. Results: The study sample (n=111) consisted mainly of female students (60.4%) with a mean age of 22 years. ED consumption was prevalent (73.9%), predominantly male (86.4%, p<0.001), mostly on a weekly basis (46.3%). Taste (MRS=4.23) was main factor influencing choice of ED. Reasons for consumption: to stay awake (n=59, 30.4%), taste preferences (n=53, 27.3%), and perceived studying benefits (n=40, 20.6%). Reasons for avoiding ED: health concerns (n=20, 33.3%) and taste aversion (n=12, 20%). Perceptions differed regarding the safety of ED during studying (p=0.005) and overall health (p<0.001). Both groups recognized the risks of addiction (MRS=3.39) but disagreed on the benefits of ED for studying (p<0.001). Non-consumers demonstrated greater awareness of health risks, particularly related to sugar, but not caffeine. Participants had limited exposure to warnings but extensive exposure to ED marketing. Conclusion: The result of this exploratory study suggests this cohort of UM students had high consumption rate of ED and generally neutral attitudes and perceptions towards ED. Potentially, the study results could contribute to the drafting of targeted health recommendations with further research covering larger samples in different population groups.