Abstract :
Background: There has been an increase in the consumption of energy drinks and dietary supplements in
India. However, the benefit of regular consumption of multivitamin and mineral supplements still remains
questionable.
Objectives: The study was conducted with an aim to obtain data about the type of nutritional supplements
and energy drinks consumed by adolescents, reasons for their consumption, with particular emphasis on
the effect of consumption on body mass index.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 adolescents of the age group 14–19 years.
Data was collected with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire. Questions pertaining to diet were asked
using a 24-hour dietary recall method and their physical activity was also determined by the questionnaire.
The height and weight of the subjects were measured, and BMI was calculated. Data was analyzed using
SPSS-17. The Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC) permission was obtained.
Results: In this study, the use of energy/sports drinks over last two weeks period was reported to be 55%
and 43% of the respondents reported the consumption of one or the other type of vitamin and/or mineral
supplement (s) without assessing any need or consulting any physician. The most commonly consumed
vitamins without prescription were Vitamin C (5%) and D (5%), while in terms of minerals, iron (6%) and
calcium (5%) were being used by the study subjects without prescription. Some of the reasons for using
energy/sports drinks were curiosity followed by peer pressure, whereas students those reported to be
consuming reported perceived short-term health benefits and supply by the parents as the common cause.
The body mass index has also been found to be associated statistically significant with the consumption
of the energy and sports drinks.
Conclusions: Thus, health education programs should incorporate the perceptions, aspirations and
motivations of young people into the planning of interventions and activities in order to make them most
relevant and effective.
Keyword :
Energy drinks, Nutritional supplements, Vitamins, Adolescent