title: Energy drinks and youth self-reported hyperactivity/inattention symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe patterns in sweetened beverage consumption by race/ethnicity and sex, documenting both the amount and types of sweetened beverages consumed; and to examine the association of sweetened beverage consumption with hyperactivity/inattention symptoms among middle school students in a single urban school district.
  
  
  METHODS
  Middle school students (n = 1649; 47% Hispanic and 38% black, non-Hispanic) from 12 schools, randomly selected out of 27 district schools, completed health behavior surveys in fall 2011. Students reported quantity and types of sweetened beverages consumed in the past 24 hours and completed the 5-item Hyperactivity/Inattention subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amount and variety of reported sweetened beverage consumption (including energy drinks) were greater among boys versus girls and among black and Hispanic versus white students. Risk of hyperactivity/inattention increased by 14% for each additional sweetened beverage consumed, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, sex, school lunch eligibility, family structure, and sugary food consumption. Students reporting consumption of energy drinks were 66% more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity/inattention after adjusting for number of drinks, other types of drinks consumed, and other potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results support recommendations to limit consumption of sweetened beverages and to avoid consumption of energy drinks among children. Interventions to reduce sweetened beverage consumption should explicitly focus on energy drinks and other emerging sweetened beverages such as sports and sweetened coffee drinks. More research is needed to understand the direction of effects and the mechanisms behind the association between sweetened beverages and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms.
authors: CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Deborah L
authors: DL
authors: Schwartz
authors: CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Gilstad-Hayden
authors: CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Carroll-Scott
authors: CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Stephanie A
authors: SA
authors: Grilo
authors: New Haven Public Schools, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: McCaslin
authors: Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
authors: Marlene
authors: M
authors: Schwartz
authors: CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn. Electronic address: Jeannette.Ickovics@yale.edu.
authors: Jeannette R
authors: JR
authors: Ickovics
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D061215:Energy Drinks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: ADHD; adolescents; energy drinks; nutrition; sweetened beverages