We hypothesized that lifestyle factors (drug use, caffeine consumption, and age) would be associated with erectile dysfunction and act as independent predictors in young adults. This study aimed to investigate these associations and evaluate their predictive value in this population.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December 2025, including volunteers aged 18–30 years. The variables analyzed were age, erectile dysfunction, illicit drug use, and caffeine consumption. Descriptive analysis was performed, with categorical variables presented as absolute and relative frequencies and age as median and interquartile range. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Associations between erectile dysfunction and categorical variables were evaluated using the chi-square test, while age was compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney test. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of erectile dysfunction, including age, drug use, and caffeine consumption. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and model fit was assessed using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test.

Fifty participants were analyzed. Erectile dysfunction (ED) was present in 44.0% (n=22) of the sample. Drug use was reported by 32.0% (n=16) of participants, and elevated caffeine consumption by 22.0% (n=11). Age was non-normally distributed (Shapiro–Wilk, p=0.011), with a median of 24 years (IQR: 3). Drug use was not associated with erectile dysfunction (χ²=0.403, p=0.525), with similar proportions observed between participants with and without the condition (27.3% vs. 35.7%). Caffeine consumption was not associated with erectile dysfunction (χ²=0.012, p=0.912), with nearly identical proportions of elevated intake observed between groups (22.7% vs. 21.4%). Age did not differ between participants with and without erectile dysfunction (Mann–Whitney U=274.0, p=0.503). In multivariate analysis, no independent predictors of erectile dysfunction were identified. Age (OR=0.92; 95%CI:0.75–1.12; p=0.409), drug use (OR=1.49; 95%CI:0.43–5.14; p=0.527), and elevated caffeine consumption (OR=1.00; 95%CI:0.25–3.97; p=1.000) were not associated with the outcome. The model showed good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.954), although with limited discriminative ability (overall accuracy: 58.0%). Drug use was not associated with erectile dysfunction (χ²=0.403, p=0.525; φ=0.09), indicating a trivial effect size. Elevated caffeine consumption also showed no association with the outcome (χ²=0.012, p=0.912; φ=0.02). Age did not differ between groups (Mann–Whitney U=274.0, p=0.503; r=0.09), also indicating a small effect size (0,10).

In this sample of young adults, no association was observed between behavioral exposures (drug use and caffeine consumption) and erectile dysfunction. Age also did not differ between participants, suggesting these factors may not play a major role in erectile function within this homogeneous group. The absence of independent predictors reinforces the multifactorial nature of erectile dysfunction, indicating that the variables investigated were insufficient to explain the outcome. The narrow age range and small sample size may have contributed to these findings. Despite limited discriminative ability, the model’s good calibration supports the validity of the analysis. These results suggest that lifestyle factors may not be primary determinants of erectile dysfunction in young individuals, highlighting the need to investigate other physiological, psychological, and neurovascular mechanisms.

In this sample of young adults, drug use, caffeine consumption, and age were not associated with erectile dysfunction and were not identified as independent predictors. These findings suggest that erectile dysfunction in this population is likely influenced by multifactorial mechanisms beyond the behavioral factors investigated.