Risk-Taking Behavior and the Consumption of Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drink among Australian, Dutch and UK Students

Sean J. Johnson, Sarah Benson, Andrew Scholey, Chris Alford and Joris C. Verster
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Sean J. Johnson: Department of Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Sarah Benson: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Andrew Scholey: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Chris Alford: Department of Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Joris C. Verster: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: The relationship between risk-taking behavior, alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences is well known. The current analyses were conducted to investigate whether alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) is related to risk-taking behavior and if there is a relationship between the amount of energy drink mixed with alcohol consumed, risk-taking behavior and negative alcohol-related consequences. Data from N = 1276 AMED consuming students from the Netherlands, UK and Australia who completed the same survey were evaluated. The analysis revealed that, compared to AMED occasions, on alcohol only (AO) occasions significantly more alcohol was consumed and significantly more negative alcohol-related consequences were reported. On both AO and AMED occasions, there was a strong and positive relationship between amount of alcohol consumed, level of risk-taking behavior and number of reported negative alcohol-related consequences. In contrast, the level of risk-taking behavior was not clearly related to energy drink consumption. Across risk-taking levels, differences in the amount of energy drink consumed on AMED occasions did not exceed one 250 mL serving of energy drink. When correcting for the amount of alcohol consumed, there were no statistically significant differences in the number of energy drinks consumed on AMED occasions between the risk-taking groups. In conclusion, alcohol consumption is clearly related to risk-taking behavior and experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences. In contrast, energy drink intake was not related to level of risk-taking behavior and only weakly related to the number of experienced negative alcohol-related consequences.

Keywords: alcohol; energy drink; alcohol consumption; alcohol-related consequences; risk-taking; students; survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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