title: Energy drink consumption in children and early adolescents.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of energy drink consumption in children and very young adolescents and to study the sociodemographic and environmental-behavioral factors associated with regular, at least once a week, energy drink consumption in early adolescence. This survey was conducted during the 2011-2012 school year in the Province of Rovigo, in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy), and involved a sample of 916 students. The usage of energy drinks increased significantly with age, from 17.8 % among sixth graders to 56.2 % among eighth graders. Among the male student population, 16.5 % of those in the eighth grade and 6.21 % of those in the sixth grade, respectively, drank them at least once a week. The independent variables conferring a higher likelihood of being at least once-a-week energy drink consumers were smoking and alcohol consumption. Awareness of the damage caused by energy drinks emerged as a protective factor that reduced the likelihood of young students consuming such drinks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that energy drink consumption is rising steadily in children and early adolescents. Energy drink consumption was found associated with the abuse of other substances, such as tobacco and alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy, luigi.gallimberti@studiogallimberti.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallimberti
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buja
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chindamo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinelli
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lazzarin
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terraneo
authors.forename: Emauele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scafato
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D061215:Energy Drinks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires