IJHS 6 | International Journal of Health Studies 2019;5(3) IJHS 2019;5(3):6-10 ijhs.shmu.ac.ir doi:10.22100/ijhs.v5i3.695 Original Article International Journal of Health Studies Energy Drinks Consumption among Iranian University Students and Associated Factors Shahrbanoo Goli 1 , Fatemeh Zarei 2 , Isa Akbarzadeh 2 , Nilay Rezaei 2 , Mohammad Reza Jafar 2 , Naeemeh Mirrezaie 3 , Seyed Mohammad Mirrezaie 4* 1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. 2 School of Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. 3 Research and Treatment, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. 4 Assistant Professor of Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences. Received: 1 December 2019 Accepted: 9 December 2019 Abstract Background: There is no study in Iran about the energy drinks (EDs) use by students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of EDs consumption and its related factors among the students. Methods: This cross-sectional study carried out among students of Shahroud university of medical sciences. Using a standardized, pretested and self-administered questionnaire, the data were collected. The questionnaire consisted of 65 questions that asked the students' sociodemographic characteristics and their knowledge and habits of ED consumptions. Results: Of all participants 66.3% were female, 63.1% of students live in dormitories and 6.9% and 19.9% of them live with friends and parents, respectively. Almost 11.5 percent of students are user of energy drinks. The most common reason to try an ED was ‘‘its special tastes’’ (36.2%), followed in order of frequency by ‘‘to stay awake for long hours’’. Logistic regression modeling of EDs use indicated that, male gender, students who live alone and higher monthly costs for personal requirements were also positively and significantly associated with EDs use. Conclusions: Despite the low prevalence of EDs consumption in our study samples, male students, living alone and higher monthly costs for personal requirements are factors associated with more EDs consumption. Keywords: Energy drink, Youths, University students, Iran. * Corresponding to: SM Mirrezaie, Email: Mirrezaie@shmu.ac.ir. Please cite this paper as: Goli S, Zarei F, Akbarzadeh I, Rezaei N, Jafar MR, Mirrezaie N, Mirrezaie SM. Energy drinks consumption among Iranian university students and associated factors. Int J Health Stud 2019;5(3):6-10. Introduction EDs are drinks that have a relatively high caffeine content (range 50 - 505 mg caffeine / serving; 2.5 - 35.7mg Caffeine / oz). 1 ED use is very common, alone in 2006, a 5.4$ billion was spent in market in the United States. 1 Studies have shown that consuming energy drinks in combination with alcoholic beverages is preferred and this form of alcohol consumption have become a part of subculture in the US student parties. 2,3,4,5 Athletes are the main goals of using these drinks, however, later on the college youth expanded because they experienced a quick change in lifestyle. 6 The market for these drinks has grown dramatically, for example, between 2004 and 2008, it shows a growth of 240%. 1,7 The use of energy drugs and other high-risk behaviors usually occurs together in adulthood and they are learned at the same time. 8,9,10 These drinks is widely used by the young people, especially students, for various reasons, for example mixing EDs with alcohol, to improve attention, to increase the time and performance of exercise, to stay awake for long hours, to increase studying or reading skills and to reduce fatigue. Research suggests that EDs consumption may appear potentially harmful for some reasons. Caffeine is clearly associated with adverse health effects in sensitive individuals. High caffeine intake is associated with elevated blood pressure, 11 sleep disturbances 12 among adolescents, with the risk of late abortions, stillbirths 13 and low birth weight infants in women. As another reason, the habit of mixing EDs with alcohol is consistently linked to drinking large quantities of alcohol during a drinking meeting and, as a result, alcohol-related events such as sexual violence or drunk driving occur more often. 5 Although users may believe that energy drinks reduce the unwanted effects of alcohol, research has shown that by combining energy drinks with alcohol, people cannot properly estimate their condition. 14 Regardless of the consumption of the EDs mixed with alcohol, recent studies have shown that these beverages can play a role in dependence on alcohol and nonmedical prescription drug use 2,3 Adolescents and young people are at high risk for behavioral problems as a group. These behaviors can increase the risk of early mortality, disability, and chronic illness, which is rapidly expanding in developing countries like us in the past two decades. 15-17 Although some high risk behaviors have been studied in students in Iran, for example, in a study conducted at Tehran university, the prevalence of hookah and cigarette smoking was 34% and 24%, respectively, and alcohol, opium, cannabis and ecstasy tablets use were reported to be 17%, 3.1%, 2.6% and 0.7%, respectively, 18 based on our knowledge any studies have not been done in Iran about the EDs use by students. Given that EDs are targeted to young adult consumers, global information is limited to the use of energy drinks by students, 19 so in this study, the consumption of EDs was studied in a group of students from different colleges. Also, the habits and factors affecting the preferences of such beverages were studied. Materials and Methods This study was a cross-sectional study carried out among students of three schools (health, medical and paramedical sciences) of Shahroud university of medical sciences (Shahrood, Iran). Approximately 500 students were invited to participate in the study overall. In the spring of 2017, on the day of data collection, all students attending classrooms were