Survey on Energy Drink Consumption Among the Adult Population in Sicily: Do New Drinking Habits Associate with the Risk of Alcoholism in the Crib of Mediterranean Diet?

The market for and the level of energy drinks (EDs) consumption are increasing every year, and while only a few have a comprehensive knowledge about the potential harmful physiological and psychological effects of EDs, the number of publications that have documented the potential adverse risks associated with the use of these beverages remains small.
The present study aim to evaluate the prevalence of EDs consumers among the adult population and to verify the factors associated with its consumption and onset of adverse events.
Patients and A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) semi-structured questionnaire, administered to adult population of central Sicily, Italy.
In this study, 217 adults were interviewed. Of the respondents, 77.9% were current EDs consumers. A significant difference was observed in the level of education (P = 0.022), with particular preponderance of ED-drinking individuals among those with middle school education compared to those with higher education levels, and with a habit of consuming alcohol more frequently than nonusers (P = 0.031). For 73% of the respondents, ED consumption was associated with consumption of alcohol, and 21% of the interviewed participants stated they had suffered from disorders caused by drinking EDs. With regards to differences between sexes, males had drunk EDs for a longer period than females (OR 1.74 (1.15 - 2.97); P = 0.041). The predominant motivation was sports for males (OR 6.5 (1.88 - 22.48); P = 0.003), and studying for females (OR 4.25 (1.25 - 14.4); P = 0.020). The females also claimed to drink EDs particularly on weekends and to have suffered more symptoms than males (OR 2.429 (1.14 - 5.18), P = 0.021).
The results of this study confirm a large use of EDs among the adult population and the side effects reported may represent a health risk. The use of EDs may influence ingestion of large amount of alcohol. This result indicates the need for a thorough evaluation of this social phenomenon.