Abstract
Background: This study was conducted to examine energy drink consumption patterns among nursing students and to identify related factors that may influence those students' intake levels.
Methods: The subjects were nursing students from seven universities located in the Chungcheong Province of Korea. A total of 1,620 questionnaires were used for analysis.
Results: Of the 1,620 nursing students, 1,265 students (78.1%) reported having consumed energy drinks. The average amount of energy drink consumption among the nursing students when studying for their most recent midterm examination was 1.63 +/- 2.64 cans per week, and the number of energy drink cans drunk during that time spanned 1-30 per week. The major reason given for energy drink intake was combating fatigue. Eleven percent of the participants always checked ingredient levels. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol was not a popular choice. The side effect most reported by nursing students was that of palpitations (27.8%). Factors affecting energy drink intake included gender and monthly allowance amounts.
Conclusions: Many nursing students in this study had tried energy drinks, with some of them reporting the use of excessive amounts. Gender and monthly allowance amounts were affecting factors of energy drink intake. Precise labeling that includes all ingredients and their amounts is necessary to prevent future health problems. Nursing students' education should include an overview of energy drinks and their drawbacks as part of their nutrition or health education coursework.