College Students’ Caffeine Intake Habits and Their Perception of Its Effects

Abstract

Background: Caffeine is a highly used stimulant on college campuses. The prevalence of energy drinks, especially among the younger generations is cause for concern. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the caffeine intake habits of college students and the perception of its effects. Method: The method used was quantitative, cross-sectional, with a descriptive design. The two research questions were: (1) What are the caffeine intake habits of college students? (2) What are the perceptions of the effects of caffeine use among college students? This study was conducted at a college campus in northern Indiana, USA. Participants included 120 male and female students ages 18 years and older. The health belief model was used to guide this study. Results: The study indicated that while caffeine is a commonly used stimulant across campus, overuse was not revealed. Many students reported being able to go 48-72 hours without caffeine and not experiencing withdrawal symptoms when going without it. However, most students do report that they perceive a need to decrease their use of caffeine, as caffeine use has increased since attending college. Conclusion: The review of the literature indicated that the use of caffeine was higher in younger people. However, the research completed as a part of this study from college students indicated that caffeine overuse may not be as prevalent as previously thought.

Impact of an Online Sleep and Circadian Education Program on University Students’ Sleep Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours

“…Both the baseline and follow-up surveys were completed at the beginning of respective semesters, thereby reducing semester/vacation variation in students’ activities. However, increased caffeine intake may reflect a broader trend of increasing caffeine intake throughout university [ 32 ]. Regardless, caffeine intake remained below the maximum recommended daily limit (400 mg).…”

Association between Awareness on the Neurophysiologic Effects of Caffeine and Consumption of Caffeinated Beverages among Saudi University Students

“…The same was seen in another Riyadh study [36]. Caffeine is the most highly used stimulant used by university students [38]. Students commonly drink caffeinated beverages for caffeine's reported effects on alertness and concentration in addition to stress reduction [5,34].…”

“…Students consume caffeinated beverages to gain energy for studying, and enhance their mood and alertness. They consume caffeinated beverages to achieve their tasks and are usually not aware of the effects that it can cause to their health [38].…”

Koffeinhasználat és koffeinhasználati zavar vizsgálata rendészeti hallgatók körében

“…573 Az egyetemi hallgatók koffeinhasználatának vizsgálata mindezek mellett különösen azért fontos, mert egyes vizsgálati eredmények szerint a fiatalok koffeinfogyasztása kapcsán tapasztalt volumen növekedés és az egyetemi tanulmányok megkezdése, folytatása között pozitív összefüggés van. 574…”

“…Egy korábbi nemzetközi vizsgálat megállapította ugyanakkor, hogy az egyetemi képzésben eltöltött idő és a koffeinfogyasztás összefügg egymással. 583 Ez a megállapítás saját vizsgálatunkban is megerősítést nyert. Az első és a negyedik évfolyamos rendészeti hallgatókat összehasonlítva ugyanis megállapítható, hogy az egyetemi képzésben töltött idő (az évfolyamok), valamint a napi koffeinhasználat között igazolható az összefüggés (p= 0,03675; p ≤ 0.05).…”