Consumption of soft, sports, and energy drinks in adolescents. The BEENIS study

The wide range of non-alcoholic drinks are currently grouped as soft (carbonated), sports, and energy drinks, and all of them have a high sugar content, along with their known risk of obesity. Their consumption is increasing and in inadvisable circumstances also an elevated health risk. The real consumption of sports and energy drinks is not well known.

To determine the habits and consumption of soft, sports, and energy drinks in adolescents.

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in which questionnaires were obtained from 4769 schoolchildren from 13-18 years-old from Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.

The prevalence of consuming soft drinks was observed in 92.9% of the adolescents, and was predominantly done during leisure time, during meals, or any time during the day. In sports it was 61.7%, mainly on practising the sport and in leisure time. In energy drinks, it was 49.2%, mainly in leisure time (they were mixed with alcohol in 49%) and on practising sport. The simultaneous consumption of the three types was 38%, and soft drinks were the most common.

A description is presented on the consumption of sports drinks, normally included as soft drinks, as well as the simultaneous consumption of the three types of drinks, and the time in which they are consumed. We have a diagnostic tool of consumption of these drinks by adolescents in our setting that will enable us to design and evaluate educational interventions in order to make the adolescent population and their families aware.