Characteristics of Japanese Medical and Healthcare University Students with Habitual Consumption of Energy Drinks: Relationship with Perceived Stress

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined the sociodemographic characteristics associated with energy drink consumption at a medical and welfare university in Japan. Data were collected and analyzed from 1249 students (first to fourth year) belonging to a single university. We examined 19 sociodemographic variables through a questionnaire. Furthermore, we identified sociodemographic characteristics associated with the consumption of energy drinks using multivariate logistic regression analysis. We characterized students who consumed energy drinks using principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Significance was established at P < 0.05. The findings of our study revealed that perceived stress (P = 0.01) and experiencing strong sleepiness (P = 0.01) during the day in males and females, as well as the frequency of alcoholic drink consumption were related to the habitual consumption of energy drinks. The students who consumed energy drinks were categorized into three clusters: male students who perceived stress, female students who perceived stress and wanted to consume alcohol, and male students who perceived stress and experienced excessive daytime sleepiness. Thus, perceived stress may be strongly correlated with the consumption of energy drinks. Therefore, educational interventions to promote awareness of the health risks of excessive energy drink consumption among students are warranted.