Energy drink expectancies among college students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Energy drink consumption has surged since the late 1990s.
• Understanding student motivations for energy drink use is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the specific expectancies college students associate with energy drink consumption.
• To identify which expectancies predict energy drink consumption patterns.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Survey administered to 1,246 college students across randomly selected classes.
• Binary logistic regression analysis to determine predictive relationships.

Main Results:

• Expectancy factors explained 25.8% of the variance in past 30-day energy drink consumption.
• Significant predictors included energy enhancement, anxiety/negative physical effects, withdrawal, and appetite suppression.
• Energy enhancement and anxiety/negative effects emerged as the strongest predictors.

Conclusions:

• College students' beliefs about energy enhancement and negative physical effects strongly influence their consumption.
• Findings can inform targeted interventions to address misconceptions and promote healthier choices.
• Interventions should focus on challenging false expectancies and reinforcing moderate or abstinent behaviors.