Population characteristics and behavior of caffeinated alcoholic beverage consumption

Background: Caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) consumption has been suggested to be associated with adverse health outcomes. There are various CAB drinking behaviors and CAB is consumed by populations like the underage, soldiers, and Taiwanese manual workers. Their drinking patterns may lead to different health effects, but CAB drinking behaviors have never been reviewed. Methods: We performed systemic qualitative review to literatures about population characteristics and drinking behavior of CAB consumption, and compared them between users in Western countries and Taiwanese manual workers. Results: CAB consumption was more prevalent in young male, and those with risk-taking tendency. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with CAB consumption in Taiwan but not in Western countries. Compared to college students in Western countries, Taiwanese manual workers drink CAB with a higher frequency and cumulative amount of alcohol, but with lower episodic drinking amount. Drinking motives were alcohol intoxication facilitation among college students but to boost energy and socializing among Taiwanese manual workers. Conclusions: CAB consumption behaviors varied across different populations and should be taken into account in researching for the causal relationship between CAB consumption and health outcomes.