Energy Drink Consumption: Pattern and Effect on Commercial Drivers in Kumasi
| dc.contributor.author | Pobee, Elizabeth Lomokei | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-02T10:04:12Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-02T10:04:12Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-11 | |
| dc.description | AThesis Submitted to the Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Biosciences College of Science In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Philosophy Degree in FORENSIC SCEINCE | |
| dc.description.abstract | For decades, the consumption of caffeinated beverages intended to “energize” has increased significantly. In Ghana, commercial drivers in major cities are rather at risk of daytime fatigue because of the many trips these drivers make to earn more money due to lack of regulation on the number of trips one makes in a day. Field observation shows that many commercial drivers rely heavily on energy drinks, however not much on this has been investigated. To address this, a cross sectional study was conducted on 210 commercial drivers across five taxi/bus stations in the Kumasi Metropolis. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic data and other information on the drivers’ pattern of energy drinks consumption. Five brands of energy drinks were sampled and analysed for presence of psychoactive agents such as benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, tetrahydrocanobinoids and tramadol using the dip 6 test kit. HPLC was used to detect and quantify caffeine in the energy drinks and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer for detection of heavy metal contamination. The study showed the absence of the psychoactive agents’ benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, tetrahydrocanobinoids and tramadol in the energy drinks. However, varying amounts of caffeine were detected in the energy drinks. The study also showed significant association between the number of trips and the number of bottles of energy drinks consumed (r = 0.631. p-value < 0.05). Hence, an increase in the number of bottles will cause an increase in the number of trips taken. The R square value 0.398 (~0.4) shows a 40% probability that consumption of energy drinks makes drivers make more trips. This result is desirable enough to lead drivers on to consume more energy drinks, thereby making them only go on long hours of drive while reducing their efficiency (by causing restlessness, insomnmia and confusion) as drivers on the road due to the cognitive changes of the psychoactive substance. Heavy metal iron was detected in all of the energy drinks tested, and copper in one of them, all below the allowed concentrations. In conclusion, this study showed a high consumption of energy drinks among the drivers with no regard to safety on our roads. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | KNUST | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/17567 | |
| dc.publisher | KNUST | |
| dc.title | Energy Drink Consumption: Pattern and Effect on Commercial Drivers in Kumasi | |
| dc.type | Thesis |