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Psychological and socio-educational correlates of energy drink consumption in children and adolescents: a systematic review

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Abstract

Energy drinks (EDs) are non-alcoholic beverages providing an extra boost in physical/cognitive performance and mood. Besides the physiological effects related to the high-caffeine content of EDs, long-term emotional, social, and behavioral effects have been recently receiving attention. However, a few systematic reviews have focused on the critical yet understudied periods of childhood and adolescence. We have undertaken a comprehensive systematic review of the evidence on any psychosocial correlates of ED consumption in 0–18-year-old subjects, as published up to April 1, 2021, in MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Reviews and Central Register of Controlled Trials. Of the initial 789 records, 104 original articles were included in the systematic review. Seventy percent of them were published from 2016 onwards; among investigated topics, substance use ranked first, followed by psychological and socio-educational factors; the less investigated topic was risky behaviors. Taste and energy-seeking were the main drivers of consumption, which generally happened at home or during sport/recreational activities, without perception of health-related risks. Positive associations with ED consumption were found for sensation seeking, irritability/anger, and suicide ideation, plan, or attempts. Finally, participants with lower grades, a low parental monitoring, or bad influences from peers were more likely to consume EDs.

Conclusion: With ~ 70% of papers published since the 2 comprehensive reviews on children/adolescents were carried out, an update of the literature with a broad focus is of great importance. Consumption of EDs by children/adolescents lies in the potential interplay between personality traits, school performance, and influences by family members and peers.

What is Known:

• Taste and energy-seeking are the main drivers of energy drink consumption, which mostly happened at home or in sport/recreational activities.

What is New:

• Perception of risks related to energy drinks is associated with a lower consumption, as based on cross-sectional studies.

• As mostly based on cross-sectional studies: 1. energy drink consumption is related to sensation seeking, irritability/anger, and suicide ideation or attempts; 2. students with a lower school performance, low parental monitoring, or bad peer influence, are more likely to consume energy drinks.

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Availability of data and materials

Not applicable to a systematic review.

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Funding

Valeria Edefonti was supported by Università degli Studi di Milano “Piano di Sostengo alla Ricerca 2021.” The funder has no role in any phase of this systematic review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine - DAME, Università Degli Studi di Udine, via Colugna 50, Udine, 33100, Italy

    Michela Marinoni & Maria Parpinel

  2. Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Epidemiology “G. A. Maccacaro”, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, via Venezian 1, Milan, 20133, Italy

    Alessio Gasparini, Monica Ferraroni & Valeria Edefonti

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  1. Michela Marinoni
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Contributions

VE, MP, and MF designed the systematic review; AG and MM carried out the literature search and the study selection process, with the supervision of VE; AG and MM prepared all the supplementary tables, with the supervision of VE; AG and MM prepared all the figures, with the supervision of VE; VE wrote the entire manuscript; MM wrote the Results section together with VE; AG provided a draft of the Results section in his Master thesis at the University of Milan, under the supervision of VE and MF; MM provided advice on nutritional issues; MF provided advice on statistical issues; VE has major responsibility for final content; all authors read, contributed to, critically revised, and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Valeria Edefonti.

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Marinoni, M., Parpinel, M., Gasparini, A. et al. Psychological and socio-educational correlates of energy drink consumption in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Eur J Pediatr 181, 889–901 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-021-04321-7

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