Energy drink consumption in a pluri-ethnic population of adolescents in the Pacific.

Objective: Energy drinks are very popular among teenagers but may cause health problems. Energy drink consumption is partly associated with energy drink perception, but little is known about this in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the relationships between energy drink consumption, energy drink perception, weight status and sociodemographic characteristics in a school-going sample of Pacific adolescents.

Design: A cross-sectional study carried out in the schools during school hours between July 2015 and April 2016.

Setting: Sociodemographic characteristics, weight status, energy drink perception, and quantity of energy drinks consumed were obtained. Chi-square tests of independence, independent t tests, multivariate logistic regressions and multiple linear regressions were used.

Subjects: A representative sample of 678 New Caledonian adolescents (11-16 years).

Results: We found that one third of New Caledonian adolescents consume energy drinks. Boys are more likely to drink them than girls and Polynesians drink significantly more than European and Melanesian adolescents. Higher energy drink consumption in the New Caledonian adolescents is associated with good or neutral perceptions of the energy drink impact on health. Moreover, sex (being male) significantly influences the total energy drink consumption per week. Energy drink consumers have a tendency toward better perceptions of energy drinks than non-consumers.

Conclusions: Nutritional education targeting energy drink consumers should take these results into account by providing (community-based) educational programs, especially for adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds, boys, or those living in rural areas.