Perception of Iztacala FES students about the effects of consuming energy drinks

Abstract

Energy drinks have focused their

advertisements on people who wish to remain

awake longer. They do so with such slogans as

“a shot of energy,” “gives you wings,” and “for

the one who wants more.” The makers of these

drinks have released little information regarding

the physiological effects of these products, which

include components such as caffeine, taurine, and

ginseng. The purpose of this study is to see how

undergraduate students with health-related majors

enrolled at the Iztacala Faculty of Superior Studies

(FES Iztacala) perceive the consumption of energy

drinks.

To this aim, a qualitative study was conducted

based on an interpretive phenomenological method.

The technique used was that of the semi-structured

interview consisting of a conversation among

equals, “repeated face-to-face meetings between the

researcher and the informers.” Five students from

the health field were interviewed. Per Krueger’s

proposal (1997), the study aimed to determine which

symptoms subjects developed after consuming

energy drinks as well as their knowledge as to the

health consequences of consuming these drinks.

Three components of the students’ perceptions

were studied: their opinions of the drinks, their

knowledge of the beverages’ health consequences,

and the period of time over which students had been

consuming the drinks. The most common symptoms

were anxiety, insomnia, tachycardia, and—in more

severe cases—addiction.