Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Department of Behavioural Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Nov 1;15(11):2429. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15112429.
The relationship between energy drink (ED) use and risky behaviours has not been explored in the Caribbean, where youth risky behaviours are prevalent. This paper examines the relationship between ED use and risky behaviours and the moderating effect of gender among 1994 undergraduate students in Trinidad and Tobago. Analyses examined the association between ED use and risky behaviours, and the significant predictors of risky behaviours. Analysis of variance determined whether there were differences in risky behaviours between those who used only alcohol or EDs, both alcohol and EDs, alcohol mixed with EDs and neither alcohol nor EDs; and the difference between those with high and low intensity of ED use. In both males and females current use of energy drinks was positively associated with harmful substance use, risky sexual behaviours, and risky non-sexual behaviours, more strongly for males. The strongest predictor of risky behaviours was gender. Males consuming both alcohol and EDs, independently or mixed, were most likely to have risky behaviours. Consistent with previous reports, harmful alcohol use and other risk taking health behaviours appear to be predicted by a combination of high intensity use of EDs and alcohol. In countries like Trinidad and Tobago where violence, alcohol use disorders, STI/HIV infection and teenaged pregnancy are prevalent, the assessment of consumption of EDs and alcohol may be an important potential predictor of health compromising behaviours.
在加勒比地区，年轻人的冒险行为很普遍，但目前还没有研究能量饮料（ED）的使用与冒险行为之间的关系。本文探讨了特立尼达和多巴哥 1994 名本科生中 ED 使用与冒险行为之间的关系，以及性别在其中的调节作用。分析检验了 ED 使用与冒险行为之间的关联，以及冒险行为的显著预测因素。方差分析确定了仅使用酒精或 EDs、同时使用酒精和 EDs、酒精和 EDs 混合使用以及既不使用酒精也不使用 EDs 的人群之间在冒险行为方面是否存在差异；以及 ED 使用强度高和低的人群之间是否存在差异。在男性和女性中，当前使用能量饮料与有害物质使用、危险性行为和危险的非性行为呈正相关，对男性的影响更为强烈。冒险行为的最强预测因素是性别。同时使用酒精和 EDs、独立使用或混合使用的男性最有可能出现冒险行为。与之前的报告一致，有害的酒精使用和其他冒险的健康行为似乎是由高强度使用 ED 和酒精共同预测的。在像特立尼达和多巴哥这样的国家，暴力、酒精使用障碍、性传播感染和青少年怀孕很普遍，对 ED 和酒精消费的评估可能是对健康造成危害行为的一个重要潜在预测因素。
