Abstract
Objective
To determine young people's knowledge of energy drinks (EDs), factors influencing
ED consumption, and intervention strategies to decrease ED consumption in young people.
Design
Eight group interviews with young people (aged 12–25 years).
Setting
Community groups and secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia.
Participants
Forty-one young people, 41% of whom were male and 73% of whom consumed EDs.
Phenomenon of Interest
Factors influencing ED consumption and intervention strategies informed by young people
to reduce ED consumption.
Analysis
Two researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis on the data using NVivo software.
Results
Facilitators of ED consumption included enhanced energy, pleasant taste, low cost,
peer pressure, easy availability, and ED promotions. Barriers included negative health
effects, unpleasant taste, high cost, and parents' disapproval. Strategies to reduce
ED consumption included ED restrictions, changing ED packaging, increasing ED prices,
reducing visibility in retail outlets, and research and education.
Conclusion and Implications
Because many countries allow the sale of EDs to people aged <18 years, identifying
ways to minimize potential harm from EDs is critical. This study provided unique insights
into intervention strategies suggested by young people to reduce ED consumption. In
addition to more research and education, these strategies included policy changes
targeting ED sales, packaging, price, and visibility. Future research might examine
the feasibility of implementing such interventions.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 12,
2017
Footnotes
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors' conflict of interest disclosures can be found online with this article on www.jneb.org.
Identification
Copyright
©2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
