Author(s)

Sixto E. Sanchez, Claudia Martinez, Raphaelle A. Oriol, David Yanez, Benjamín Castañeda, Elena Sanchez, Bizu Gelaye, Michelle A. Williams

Asociacion Civil Proyectos en Salud (PROESA), Peru.
Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Multidisciplinary International Research Training Program, Boston, USA.
Universidad de San Martin de Porres, Lima, Peru.

Objectives: To evaluate sleep quality in relation to lifestyle characteristics including consumption of energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages among Peruvian college students. Methods: A total of 2458 college students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that collected information about a variety of behaviors including consumption of energy drinks, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Logistic regression procedures were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for poor sleep quality in relation to lifestyle characteristics. Results: A total of 965 males and 1493 female students were enrolled in the study. 52.0% of males and 58.4% of females experienced poor sleep quality (p = 0.002). Females (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.08-1.51) and those who reported consuming ≥3 stimulant beverages per week (OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.42-2.50) had higher odds of poor sleep quality. Students who consumed 1-19 alcoholic beverages monthly (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.46-2.49) had a higher odds of long sleep latency. Consumption of ≥3 stimulant beverages per week was associated with daytime dysfunction due to sleep loss (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.10-1.90), short sleep duration (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.14-1.94), and use of sleep medication (OR = 2.10; 95% CI 1.35-3.28). Conclusions: Consumption of energy drinks, other caffeinated beverages and alcoholic beverages are risk factors of poor sleep quality. Increased awareness of these associations should promote interventions to improve students’ lifestyle habits, including consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, and overall health.

Sleep; Energy Drinks; College Students; Peru

Sanchez, S. , Martinez, C. , Oriol, R. , Yanez, D. , Castañeda, B. , Sanchez, E. , Gelaye, B. and Williams, M. (2013) Sleep quality, sleep patterns and consumption of energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages among Peruvian college students. Health, 5, 26-35. doi: 10.4236/health.2013.58A2005.