Consumption of energy drinks among female secondary school students, Almadinah Almunawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2011

BackgroundAlthough energy drinks are known to have adverse effects, their consumption has increased markedly, especially among adolescents.ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence of consumption, pattern of use and knowledge about energy drinks among female secondary school students in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 600 female secondary school students was conducted with multi-stage sampling. Data were collected with an interview questionnaire. Frequencies, percentages and arithmetic means were calculated, and the chi-square test, ANOVA test and post hoc least significant difference were used with bivariate correlation. p Values <0.05 were considered significant.ResultsMost students (86.2%) did not recommend consumption of energy drinks; however, 52.2% drank them. Their popularity was attributed to advertising by 35.0%. They were drunk for vitality by 25.6% and to be alert by 20.8%. The active ingredients of energy drinks were not known by 69.6% of the students. Current energy drink use correlated with consumption by a family member or close friend. The type of drinks consumed correlated with degree of satisfaction, body changes, level of alertness and concentration obtained and withdrawal symptoms on cessation.ConclusionA health education intervention programme is needed to increase the awareness of students about the composition of energy drinks and their effects on health. Legislation is needed to ensure that the exact ingredients of these drinks are printed on the labels and to regulate use of these drinks by adolescents.