Miller | Dermen | Lucke
This study assessed the use of caffeinated energy drinks by U.S. adolescents and young adults (age 13-25) and examined links between sexual risk-taking and the use of energy drinks mixed with alcohol.

Energy drink (ED) use, particularly when mixed with alcohol (AED), is a rapidly emerging but understudied phenomenon that has been linked with both problem drinking and unsafe sexual activity. This study recruited a longitudinal survey sample of 3,000 U.S. youth aged 13-25 in order to (1) provide the first detailed, nationally representative descriptive portrait of ED and AED use in adolescents and emerging adults, (2) examine event-level and prospective relationships among AED use, AED expectancies, and sexual risk-taking, and (3) assess the role of gender in moderating those links. The study fostered a theoretically coherent and empirically sound basis for understanding the relationships among these potentially health-compromising behaviors. We expect that the findings will inform the future development of more effective screening, intervention, and regulatory strategies for reducing AED-related risky sexual activity. 

Principal Investigator
Kathleen Miller, PhD
Research Institute on Addictions

Co-Investigators
Kurt Dermen, PhD
Research Institute on Addictions

Joseph Lucke, PhD
Research Institute on Addictions

Funding Agency
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Grant Number
R01-AA021395

Dates
2013-2017