Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is related to alcohol problems over time among Reserve and National Guard soldiers

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The potential consequences of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMED) consumption are of concern, but research to date has yielded conflicting results on how this mixing relates to alcohol outcomes. How AMED might relate to particular at-risk populations, such as military personnel, and the longitudinal consequences are unknown. This research examines the relationship between AMED use with alcohol problems using 6 years of data, among Reserve and National Guard (R/NG) soldiers, a population at risk for both heavy use of caffeine and alcohol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current analyses used 6 years of annual survey data, collected from soldiers (n = 485) participating in Operation: SAFETY, a longitudinal cohort study of U.S. Army R/NG soldiers and their spouses. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the relationship between past-year use of energy drinks mixed with alcohol (yes/no) on the likelihood of having an AUDIT score ≥8 (yes/no), indicative of problems with alcohol. Adjusted models controlled for age, sex, and symptoms of PTSD. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University at Buffalo, and vetted by the Army Human Research Protections Office, the Office of the Chief, the Army Reserve, and the Adjutant General of the National Guard. All participants provided informed consent to participate. RESULTS: At the first assessment, over half of the sample reported AMED in their lifetime, and 14.4% reported AMED in the past year. Reporting past-year mixing of energy drinks with alcohol was significantly related to higher odds of likely problems with alcohol (Odds Ratio (OR), 2.01; 95% CI, 1.51-2.66; P < .001) over time (Table 1). This remained true in adjusted models, after accounting for sex, age, and PTSD symptom levels (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR), 1.88; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.39-2.54; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Soldiers are already at greater risk for problems with alcohol compared to their civilian counterparts; the current analyses suggest that using energy drinks combined with alcohol may increase this risk for some individuals. Further research is needed to explore the context in which energy drinks and alcohol are used to inform future prevention messaging and interventions.