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Energy drink consumption, health complaints and late bedtime among young adolescents

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

Energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine. Their effects on adolescent well-being are poorly known. We examined the relationship of energy drink consumption with health complaints and late bedtime among 13-year-olds.

Methods

A classroom survey was conducted on all 7th graders in the Helsinki metropolitan region, Finland (73 % responded; n = 9446). Logistic regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used.

Results

The prevalence of health complaints increased as energy drink consumption increased from non-consumers to several times/day. Late bedtime (≥11 PM) increased correspondingly. Those consuming energy drinks several times/day exhibited increased odds of experiencing daily health complaints compared with non-consumers: headache OR (adjusted) = 4.6 (2.8–7.7), sleeping problems OR = 3.6 (2.2–5.8), irritation OR = 4.1 (2.7–6.1), tiredness/fatigue OR = 3.7 (2.4–5.7), and late bedtime OR = 7.8 (5.7–10.9). In SEM, energy drink consumption had a direct effect on health complaints and late bedtime and an indirect effect on health complaints via late bedtime.

Conclusions

Energy drinks, late bedtime, and health complaints form a behavior pattern that is worth considering in schools, home and clinical settings when adolescents complain about headaches, problems with sleeping and corresponding symptoms.

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Acknowledgments

The data collection was financially supported by the Academy of Finland (Skidi-Kids Research Program) and analyses by the Competitive Research Funding of the Tampere University Hospital (Grant 9N063). We thank MSc Liudmila Lipiäinen for consultation regarding SEM modeling and BA Lasse Pere for preparing the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Leena Koivusilta, Heini Kuoppamäki & Arja Rimpelä

  2. Tampere Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Research (PERLA), University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Arja Rimpelä

  3. Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, 33380, Pitkäniemi, Finland

    Arja Rimpelä

  4. University Consortium of Seinäjoki, Kampusranta 9 C, 60320, Seinäjoki, Finland

    Leena Koivusilta

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  1. Leena Koivusilta
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  2. Heini Kuoppamäki
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  3. Arja Rimpelä
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Correspondence to Leena Koivusilta.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Koivusilta, L., Kuoppamäki, H. & Rimpelä, A. Energy drink consumption, health complaints and late bedtime among young adolescents. Int J Public Health 61, 299–306 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0797-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0797-9

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