Prevalence and correlates of energy drink consumption among Spanish adolescents

This study aimed to provide up-to-date prevalence of energy drink (ED) consumption, as well as analyze the relationship of mental health symptoms and addictive behaviors (i.e. substance use, gambling, gaming, and social media) based on ED consumption. A total of 1189 students aged 14-18 years (M_age = 15.64; SD = 1.08; 52.5%girls) participated in the study. Past-month consumption of ED and substances (i.e. tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis) was assessed. Additionally, participants completed three questionnaires measuring gambling, video games, and mobile phones. Results showed that lifetime ED use was reported by 59.4% and 30.5% reported past 30-day use. ED users showed significantly greater psychological distress (p-values ⩽ 0.018) and higher rates of substance use, gambling, gaming, and social media than non-ED users (p-values ⩽ 0.035). The findings highlight the need for comprehensive intervention and prevention efforts to reduce ED use and its associated mental health symptoms and addictive behaviors among adolescents.