Practices Towards Energy Drink Consumption Among the Students of a Medical College in New Delhi, India.

Introduction: The consumption of energy drinks among adolescents and young adults is on the rise, driven by claims of enhanced energy and performance. However, many students consume these beverages without full awareness of their potential effects, making it a public health concern. This study aims to assess the prevalence and consumption patterns of energy drinks among medical college students in Delhi.

Aims And Objectives: This study aims to assess the prevalence, patterns, and knowledge of energy drink consumption among medical students in Delhi, while also exploring the factors that influence their consumption behavior. It seeks to determine how commonly undergraduate medical students consume energy drinks and to analyze their consumption patterns, including the frequency of intake, age of initiation, and motivations behind their use. Additionally, the research evaluates students' knowledge and awareness regarding the ingredients of energy drinks, their differences from sports drinks, and the potential harmful effects associated with their consumption. Furthermore, the study investigates the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, such as gender, year of study, and leisure screen time, that may be linked to energy drink consumption and the level of knowledge among medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 226 undergraduate students at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Prior to the study, ethical approval was obtained from the Institute Ethics Committee, and permission was secured from the Dean. Participants were selected through simple random sampling from a list provided by the Dean's office. After obtaining informed consent, the investigator conducted face-to-face interviews using a self-designed, pre-tested questionnaire covering socio-demographic details, knowledge of energy drinks, and consumption practices. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test to examine associations between variables, with a p-value ≤0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Among the 226 participants, the majority (87.6%) were in the 19-24 years age group. Energy drink consumption was reported by 62% of participants, with 75% of consumers being occasional users (less than one drink per week). Over half of the consumers (60.4%) were aware of the harmful effects of energy drinks, while 59.7% had knowledge of their ingredients. Gender, year of study, and leisure screen time showed significant associations with multiple knowledge-related variables.

Conclusion:  More than 50% of participants were identified as energy drink consumers. A significant association was found between gender, year of study, and preferred energy drink brand with knowledge and consumption patterns related to energy drinks.