Prevalence of Energy Drink Consumption and Its Association with Perceived Stress and Daytime Sleepiness Among Undergraduate Students at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Telangana
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Abstract
Background:The consumption of energy drinks among medical students has become an increasing public health issue, potentially affecting stress levels and sleep patterns. Even though a lot of people use it, there isn't much information about how Indian medical students use it.
Methods:An institutional cross-sectional study was performed with 281 undergraduate medical students at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana, from June to September 2025. The study used simple random sampling and validated structured questionnaire to collect data. This included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Chi-square test and the independent t-test for statistical analysis, with a significance level of p<0.05 was used.
Results:Of the 281 participants (response rate: 98.9%), 34.9% (95% CI: 29.2-40.6%) reported consuming energy drinks. The main reason people drank it was to "stay awake" (53.1%). People who drank energy drinks thought they were more stressed (mean PSS: 17.9±6.3 vs 14.6±5.7; p=0.035) and sleepier during the day (mean ESS:8.9±4.4 vs 6.5±3.7; p=0.022) than people who didn't drink them. Being male (OR=1.81, p=0.009) and playing sports regularly (p=0.031) were both strongly linked to consumption. Among consumers, 40.8% experienced adverse effects, with insomnia being the most common (16.3%).
Conclusion:One-third of medical students drink energy drinks, which are linked to higher stress levels and daytime sleepiness. Ironically, students who drink energy drinks to stay awake during the day end up feeling more tired, suggesting a vicious cycle. There is an urgent need for targeted health education programs and institutional policies.