Association between reported screening and counseling about energy drinks and energy drink intake among U.S. adolescents

ObjectivePossible adverse health consequences of excessive energy drink (ED) consumption have led to recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics discouraging ED intake by youth. However, limited information on ED counseling by health care providers exists.MethodsData was obtained from the 2011 YouthStyles Survey administered to youth aged 12–17 (n = 815). The outcome variable was ED consumption (none vs. ≥1 time/week) and exposure variables were screening and counseling about ED (if doctor/nurse asked about ED consumption and if doctor/nurse recommended against ED consumption).ResultsApproximately 8.5% of youth consumed energy drinks weekly, 11.5% reported being asked by their doctor/nurse about frequency of ED consumption, and 11.1% were advised by their doctor/nurse against ED intake. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds for drinking ED ≥1 time/week was significantly higher in youth who were asked how often they drank ED by their doctor/nurse (odds ratio = 2.46) vs. those who were not asked.ConclusionAbout 1 in 9 youth reported receiving counseling discouraging ED consumption from their doctor/nurse, and a greater proportion of youth who were screened about ED also reported ED consumption.Practice implicationsEfforts by health care providers to educate youth about potential harms of consuming ED are needed.