Energy drinks consumption among adolescents in Sweden

People in Sweden consume high quantities of energy drinks. This statement is a fact, which is confirmed by scientifically provided statistics. In detail, the out-of-home revenue for energy drinks in 2024 is 185.10 million US dollars, while the revenue at home for the same year is 468.50 million US dollars (Meredith, 2024). So, 653.50 million dollars are spent in total for consuming energy drinks in Sweden in the year 2024. These statistics seem to be increasing more and more in the next few years. Specifically, the volume growth concerning energy drinks’ consumption at home will be increased by 4.8% in 2025, whereas by 2029 it is expected to grow annually by the rate of 5.53%. As a result, it is evident that Sweden has not only a noticeable high but also an increasing rate of energy drinks consumed among its total population, including adolescents.

However, the above-mentioned statistics are concerning when it comes to children’s and adolescents’ health. A research study accomplished in North Sweden in 2010 with its results being publically available in 2021 shows that energy drink consumption may provoke various health problems in adolescents in combination with other crucial factors (Svensson, 2021). Analytically, energy drink consumption is much more likely to cause low health conditions, such as psychosomatic dysfunctions, anxiety, the risk of self-harm or suicide, fewer hours of sleep, difficulties sleeping, or school stress. Continuing, crucial factors such as the adolescents’ socioeconomic background are highly associated with energy drink consumption and its effects for their health too.

Plenty of values that belong to the socioeconomic adolescents’ background variable are the following ones: not living with both of the parents, not having support from teachers, having a personal negative body image, not eating lunch at school, smoking, and drinking alcohol. All these values reinforce both boys and girls consuming energy drinks. Summarizing, the energy drink consumption phenomenon serves as a mediator variable, while socioeconomic factors represent the x variables and low health conditions the y variables, confirming their all-between associations.

Especially for the boys, the values of low levels of parental and teacher support were way more associated with energy drinks’ consumption, while for the girls, the health-related variables due to energy drinks’ consumption were associated with norm-breaking behavior. Concerning both sexes and cases, energy drinks’ consumption seems to accelerate both health worsening and norm-breaking behavior after one year.

Although a significant and remarkable observation is that in total terms, boys consume more frequently energy drinks than the girls do. Another national survey's results confirm the above statement, namely that young males in Sweden consume more energy drinks than young females. About the consumption frequency as well, seldom energy drinks’ consumption covers the higher rate in the previous mentioned study that occurred in North Sweden. Nevertheless, consumption rates of energy drinks remain in high percentages.

In conclusion, the association between energy drink consumption and low health conditions is apparently determined by the health and behavioral effects of energy drinks to be attributed to caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients and stimulants (The Global Resource for Nutricion Practice, 2024). Despite Sweden’s age limit of fifteen years old as the minimum barrier to buying energy drinks, access to them still remains easy. Consequently, stricter policies have to be possibly applied, accompanied by the fundamentally important role of education. Via educational and informative processes, not only the adolescents but also their parents will have the opportunity to be explained in depth the negative effects of energy drinks for their body health and nutrition. Regardless of statistics showing an absolute energy drinks’ increasing rate, education may potentially serve as a key factor in the purpose of turning around the existing situation.