Children and adolescents who are anxiety sensitive are attuned to bodily sensations and interpret them as threatening. The objectives of the current study were to test if anxiety sensitivity was related to perceiving greater subjective physiological effects of caffeine and, in turn, lowered levels of naturalistic caffeine use. Developmental differences between children and adolescents in these relations were also tested.
Methods:
Children (n=135) and adolescents (n=79) completed a measure of naturalistic caffeine intake, daily availability, and subjective effects of caffeine. Youth also completed a measure of anxiety sensitivity.
Results:
For both children and adolescents, anxiety sensitivity was positively associated with perceived stimulating and withdrawal effects, as well as greater perceived availability of caffeine. For children only, anxiety sensitivity was associated with greater perceived psychological effects of caffeine. Across both age groups, anxiety sensitivity predicted greater reported caffeine intake, and this relation was explained via an indirect effect through withdrawal symptoms.
Conclusions:
Despite greater perceived sensitivity to caffeine's effects, anxiety sensitivity does not appear to buffer intake for children and adolescents. Rather, anxiety sensitive youth may experience more intense withdrawal symptoms, which subsequently contribute to greater caffeine intake. With one exception, relations of anxiety sensitivity to caffeine effects and consumption appear consistent across middle childhood and adolescence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
EllisonRC, SingerMR, MooreLLet al.Current caffeine intake of young children: amount and sources. J Am Diet Assoc, 1995; 95:802–804.
2.
FraryCD, JohnsonRK, WangMQ. Food sources and intakes of caffeine in the diets of persons in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc, 2005; 105:110–113.
3.
JamesJE, KrsitjanssonAL, SidfusdottirID. Adolescent substance use, sleep, and academic achievement: evidence of harm due to caffeine. J Adolesc, in press.
4.
TempleJL. Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2009; 33:793–806.
5.
GoldsteinA, WallaceME. Caffeine dependence in schoolchildren?Exp Clin Psychopharmacol, 1997; 5:388–392.
6.
DahlRE. Adolescent brain development: a period of vulnerabilities and opportunities. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2004; 1021:1–22.
7.
FormanES, DekkerAH, JavorsJR, DavisonDT. High-risk behaviors in teenage male athletes. Clin J Sport Med, 1995; 5:36–42.
8.
BramstedtKA. Caffeine use by children: the quest for enhancement. Subst Use Misuse, 2007; 42:1237–1251.
9.
HughesJR, HaleKL. Behavioral effects of caffeine and other methylxanthines on children. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol, 1998; 6:87–95.
10.
BernsteinGA, CarrollME, ThurasPLet al.Caffeine dependence in teenagers. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2002; 66:1–6.
11.
BernsteinGA, CarrollME, WaltersDNet al.Caffeine withdrawal in normal school-age children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 1998; 37:858–865.
12.
WhalenDJ, SilkJS, SemalMet al.Caffeine consumption, sleep, and affect in the natural environments of depressed youth and healthy controls. J Pediatr Psychol, 2008; 33:358–367.
FulkersonJA, SherwoodNE, PerryCLet al.Depressive symptoms and adolescent eating and health behaviors: a multifaceted view in a population-based sample. Prev Med, 2004; 38:865–875.
15.
LuebbeAM, BellDJ. Mountain Dew® or mountain don't?: A pilot investigation of caffeine use parameters and relations to depression and anxiety symptoms in fifth and tenth grade students. J Sch Health, 2010; 79:380–387.
16.
BernsteinGA, CarrollME, CrosbyRDet al.Caffeine effects on learning, performance, and anxiety in normal school-age children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 1994; 33:407–415.
17.
OberstarJV, BernsteinGA, ThurasPD. Caffeine use and dependence in adolescents: one-year follow-up. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 2002; 12:127–135.
18.
ReissS, McNallyR. The Expectancy Model of Fear. Theoretical Issues in Behavior Therapy. ReissS, BootzinRR. Academic Press: NY, 1985; 107–121.
VaseyMW, DaleidenEL, WilliamsLL, BrownLM. Biased attention in childhood anxiety disorders: a preliminary study. J Abnorm Child Psychol, 1995; 23:267–279.
22.
WeemsCF, Hammond-LaurenceK, SilvermanWK, FergusonC. The relation between anxiety sensitivity and depression in children and adolescents referred for anxiety. Behav Res Ther, 1997; 35:961–966.
23.
GregoryAC, EleyTC. Sleep problems, anxiety, and cognitive style in school-aged children. Infant Child Dev, 2005; 15:435–444.
24.
McNallyRJ. Anxiety Sensitivity is Distinguishable from Trait Anxiety. Current Controversies in the Anxiety Disorders. RapeeRM. Guilford Press: NY, 1996; 214–227.
25.
McWilliamsLA, AsmundsonGJG.Is there a negative association between anxiety sensitivity and arousal-increasing substances and activities?J Anxiety Disord, 2001; 15:161–170.
26.
StewartSH, KarpJ, PihlROet al.Anxiety sensitivity and self-reported reasons for drug use. J Subst Abuse, 1997; 9:223–240.
27.
SigelmanCK, SilkA, GoldbergFet al.Developmental differences in beliefs about how alcohol and cocaine affect behavior. J App Dev Psych, 2000; 20:597–614.
28.
Center for Science in the Public Interest. Caffeine Contents of Foods and Drugs. www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm. 2011 June 21.
29.
MurisP, SchmidtH, MerckelbachH, SchoutenE. Anxiety sensitivity in adolescents: factor structure and relationships to trait anxiety and symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression. Behav Res Ther, 2001; 39:89–100.
30.
PreacherKJ, HayesAF. Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behav Res Methods, 2008; 40:879–891.
31.
MacKinnonDP, LockwoodCM, WilliamsJ. Confidence limits for the indirect effect: distribution of the product and re-sampling methods. Multivariate Behav Res, 2004; 39:99–128.
32.
MurisP, MeestersC. Children's somatization symptoms: correlations with trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and learning experiences. Psychol Rep, 2004; 94:1269–1275.
ChorpitaBF, DaleidenEL. Properties of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index in children with anxiety disorders: autonomic and non-autonomic factors. Behav Ther, 2000; 31:327–350.
35.
ChorpitaBF, AlbanoAM, BarlowDH. Child Anxiety Sensitivity Index: considerations for children with anxiety disorders. J Clin Child Psychol, 1996; 25:77–83.
36.
HarterS, WhitesellNR. Developmental Changes in Children's Understanding of Single, Multiple, and Blended Emotion Concepts. Children's Understanding of Emotion. SaarniC, HarrisPL. Cambridge University Press: NY, 1991; 81–116.
37.
KuhnD. Do cognitive changes accompany developments in the adolescent brain?Perspect Psychol Sci, 2006; 1:59–67.
38.
StewartSH, WattMC. Introduction to the special issue on interoceptive exposure in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders: novel applications and mechanisms of action. J Cog Psychother, 2008; 22:291–302.
39.
StewartSH, PetersonJB, PihlRO. Anxiety sensitivity and self-reported alcohol consumption rates in university women. J Anxiety Disord, 1995; 9:283–292.
40.
BakerTB, PiperME, McCarthyDE, MajeskieMR, FioreMC. Addiction motivation reformulated: an affective processing model of negative reinforcement. Psychol Rev, 2004; 111:33–51.
41.
TelchMJ, SilvermanA, SchmidtNB. Effects of anxiety sensitivity and perceived control on emotional responding to caffeine challenge. J Anxiety Disord, 1996; 10:21–35.
