Skewes Monica C, Decou Christopher R, Gonzalez Vivian M
Department of Psychology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2013 Aug 5;72. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21204. eCollection 2013.
Recent research has identified the use of caffeinated energy drinks as a common, potentially risky behavior among college students that is linked to alcohol misuse and consequences. Research also suggests that energy drink consumption is related to other risky behaviors such as tobacco use, marijuana use and risky sexual activity.
This research sought to examine the associations between frequency of energy drink consumption and problematic alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences, symptoms of alcohol dependence and drinking motives in an ethnically diverse sample of college students in Alaska. We also sought to examine whether ethnic group moderated these associations in the present sample of White, Alaska Native/American Indian and other ethnic minority college students.
A paper-and-pencil self-report questionnaire was completed by a sample of 298 college students. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine the effects of energy drink use, ethnic group and energy drink by ethnic group interactions on alcohol outcomes after controlling for variance attributed to gender, age and frequency of binge drinking.
Greater energy drink consumption was significantly associated with greater hazardous drinking, alcohol consequences, alcohol dependence symptoms, drinking for enhancement motives and drinking to cope. There were no main effects of ethnic group, and there were no significant energy drink by ethnic group interactions.
These findings replicate those of other studies examining the associations between energy drink use and alcohol problems, but contrary to previous research we did not find ethnic minority status to be protective. It is possible that energy drink consumption may serve as a marker for other health risk behaviors among students of various ethnic groups.
最近的研究发现，饮用含咖啡因的能量饮料在大学生中是一种常见的、潜在危险行为，与酒精滥用及其后果有关。研究还表明，饮用能量饮料与其他危险行为有关，如吸烟、吸食大麻和危险性行为。
本研究旨在调查阿拉斯加不同种族的大学生样本中，能量饮料消费频率与酒精使用问题、酒精相关后果、酒精依赖症状及饮酒动机之间的关联。我们还试图研究在目前的白人、阿拉斯加原住民/美洲印第安人和其他少数族裔大学生样本中，种族是否会调节这些关联。
298名大学生样本完成了一份纸笔式自我报告问卷。在控制了性别、年龄和暴饮频率的方差后，采用协方差分析（ANCOVA）来检验能量饮料使用、种族以及能量饮料与种族的交互作用对酒精相关结果的影响。
能量饮料消费增加与危险饮酒、酒精相关后果、酒精依赖症状、为增强动机饮酒及借酒消愁显著相关。种族没有主效应，能量饮料与种族之间也没有显著的交互作用。
这些发现重复了其他研究中关于能量饮料使用与酒精问题之间关联的结果，但与之前的研究相反，我们没有发现少数族裔身份具有保护作用。能量饮料消费可能是各民族学生中其他健康风险行为的一个标志。
