Prevalence and factors associated with energy drink consumption among Boitekanelo College students, Botswana: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Over the past two decades, the global energy drink market has grown substantially, with college students emerging as a key demographic both internationally and in Botswana. Despite widespread consumption, energy drink use has been epidemiologically linked to adverse health effects. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of energy drink consumption and its associated factors among students at Boitekanelo College. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among students using an adapted, self-administered structured questionnaire. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson's chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between energy drink consumption and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 353 participants participated in the study. The mean age was 21.61 ± 3.36 years. The prevalence of energy drink consumption was 59.0%. Among the variables examined, program of study was significantly associated with energy drink consumption (χ2 (14) = 36.24, p = 0.003). The association showed moderate effect size (Cramér's V = 0.32), indicating moderate practical significance. No statistically significant associations were observed between energy drink consumption and age, sex, program level, year of study, marital status, or knowledge level. CONCLUSION: Energy drink consumption was highly prevalent among students at Boitekanelo College, indicating that energy drink use is widespread across the student population and may be driven more by contextual rather than individual-level factors. These findings underscore the need for multifaceted, evidence-informed health promotion strategies to encourage healthier beverage choices within higher education settings.