Relationship Between Energy Drink/Alcoholic Beverage Use, Anxiety and Sleep Quality among Nigeria Police Academy Cadets

Abstract

Sleep quality has been implicated in research to play a fundamental role in immunity, learning, and memory. Poor sleep quality is associated with psychological distress and physical and psychological health problems among police cadets. Consequently, using the anxiety dimension of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale and the Energy drink use scale, this research assessed the relationship between energy drink/alcoholic beverage use, anxiety and sleep quality among 306 purposively sampled Nigeria police cadets. The theory of reasoned action, the cognitive model of anxiety and the social learning theory of substance use guided this study. The cross-sectional survey adopted an ex-post facto design. Results revealed that 9.6 cadets use energy drink/alcoholic beverages, also, energy drink/alcoholic beverage use and anxiety had a significant joint prediction on sleep quality among the police cadets. Both alcoholic beverage use and anxiety independently predicted sleep quality. It was concluded that there exists a relationship between alcoholic beverage use, energy drink use, anxiety and sleep quality among Nigeria police cadets. There is an obvious need for the assessment of cadets on energy drink/alcoholic beverage use and sleep quality; this will aid in policy-making for effective policing in Nigeria and in turn improve cadets’ training/academic accomplishments.