Effects of consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks versus consuming alcohol only on overall alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographics of study participants

	Alcohol-only group (n = 3185)	Alcohol mixed with energy drinks group (n = 1239)	P value
Male/female ratio	32.5%/67.5%	39.1%/60.9%	<0.001
Age (years), mean (SD)	22.1 (2.6)	21.5 (2.3)	<0.001
Weight (kg), mean (SD)	68.9 (11.8)	70.4 (12.3)	<0.001
Height (m), mean (SD)	1.75 (0.1)	1.76 (0.1)	<0.001
Sorority/fraternity member	20.6%	22.8%	0.113
Medication use	23.2%	23.0%	0.905
Drug use	22.0%	38.3%	<0.001
Tobacco use	23.2%	41.7%	<0.001

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 Between-group comparison of those who consumed alcohol only and those who mixed alcohol with energy drinks with regard to their alcohol consumption on occasions when they consume alcohol only (without mixing with energy drinks)

	Alcohol-only group (n = 3185)	Alcohol mixed with energy drinks group (n = 1239)	P value
At what age did you first consume alcohol?	14.5 (2.0)	14.0 (1.9)	<0.001
At what age did you consume alcohol regularly?	17.2 (1.9)	16.5 (1.7)	<0.001
How many standard drinks do you usually have on one occasion?	4.1 (3.1)	6.0 (3.9)	<0.001
In the past 30 days, how many days did you drink alcohol?	7.9 (6.3)	9.2 (6.4)	<0.001
In the past 30 days, how many days did you get drunk?	1.0 (1.9)	1.9 (2.7)	<0.001
In the past 30 days, how many times did you have more than five (male)/four (female) alcoholic drinks on one occasion?	2.9 (3.9)	4.8 (4.8)	<0.001
In the past 30 days, what is the greatest number of alcoholic drinks you had on one occasion?	7.7 (6.0)	10.7 (6.7)	<0.001
On that occasion (previous question), how many hours did you consume alcohol?	5.1 (3.1)	6.0 (3.1)	<0.001
In the past 12 months, what was the greatest number of alcoholic drinks you consumed on one occasion?	10.7 (7.1)	14.6 (7.9)	<0.001
Total BYAACQ score for drinking alcohol only	3.1 (3.0)	4.9 (3.8)	<0.001

Abbreviation: BYAACQ, Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire.

Figure 1 Means (SEM) for within-subjects analyses in the AMED group (n = 1189) on consumption questions for alcohol only and alcohol mixed with energy drinks.

Notes: Questions are specifically asked for both conditions (consuming solely alcohol/consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks). All differences are significant at the P < 0.001 level.
Abbreviations: AMED, alcohol mixed with energy drinks; SEM, standard errors of the mean.

Table 3 Within-subjects comparison in the AMED group (N = 1110) on BYAACQ items for occasions on which they consumed alcohol only compared with occasions on which they mixed alcohol with energy drinks

Item	BYAACQ	Within subject comparison		P value
		Alcohol-only	Alcohol mixed with energy drinks
1	I have had a hangover (headache, sick stomach) the morning after I had been drinking	861 (77.6%)	522 (47.0%)	<0.001
5	I have had less energy or felt tired because of my drinking	697 (62.8%)	330 (29.7%)	<0.001
10	I have felt very sick to my stomach or thrown up after drinking	412 (37.1%)	220 (19.8%)	<0.001
3	I’ve not been able to remember large stretches of time while drinking heavily	393 (35.4%)	198 (17.8%)	<0.001
9	While drinking, I have said or done embarrassing things	386 (34.8%)	193 (17.4%)	<0.001
7	I often have ended up drinking on nights when I had planned not to drink	308 (27.7%)	114 (10.3%)	<0.001
2	I have taken foolish risks when I have been drinking	300 (27.0%)	169 (15.2%)	<0.001
11	I have not gone to work or missed classes at school because of drinking, a hangover, or illness caused by drinking	268 (24.1%)	138 (12.4%)	<0.001
4	The quality of my work or school work has suffered because of my drinking	252 (22.7%)	117 (10.5%)	<0.001
12	When drinking, I have done impulsive things I regretted later	219 (19.7%)	114 (10.3%)	<0.001
24	I have found that I needed larger amounts of alcohol to feel any effect, or that I could no longer get high or drunk on the amount that used to get me high or drunk	182 (16.4%)	122 (11.0%)	<0.001
16	I have felt badly about myself because of my drinking	155 (14.0%)	82 (7.4%)	<0.001
6	My drinking has got me into sexual situations I later regretted	152 (13.7%)	68 (6.1%)	<0.001
13	I have been overweight because of drinking	151 (13.6%)	77 (6.9%)	<0.001
15	I have spent too much time drinking	121 (10.9%)	62 (5.6%)	<0.001
21	I have often found it difficult to limit how much I drink	92 (8.3%)	56 (5.0%)	<0.001
20	I have neglected my obligations to family, work, or school because of drinking	86 (7.7%)	62 (5.6%)	0.002
17	My drinking has created problems between myself and my boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, parents, or other near relatives	79 (7.1%)	50 (4.5%)	<0.001
14	I have woken up in an unexpected place after heavy drinking	76 (6.8%)	37 (3.3%)	<0.001
8	My physical appearance has been harmed by my drinking	68 (6.1%)	51 (4.6%)	0.027
23	I have become very rude, obnoxious, or insulting after drinking	66 (5.9%)	42 (3.8%)	0.003
19	I have driven a car when I knew I had too much to drink to drive safely	55 (5.0%)	31 (2.8%)	0.002
18	I have felt like I needed a drink after I’d got up (that is, before breakfast)	26 (2.3%)	26 (2.3%)	1.000
22	I have passed out from drinking	21 (1.9%)	26 (2.3%)	0.473
	Total BYAACQ score mean (SD)	4.9 (3.8)	2.6 (3.5)	<0.001
*	I have physically injured myself or others after drinking – separate to being in a fight	112 (10.1%)	61 (5.5%)	<0.001
*	I have got into a fight after drinking	46 (4.1%)	45 (4.1%)	1.000

Notes: The percentage “yes” on a particular item is shown.

* Additional question, added by the authors.

Abbreviations: AMED, alcohol mixed with energy drinks; BYAACQ, Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire; SD, standard deviation.