Motivations for Caffeine Consumption in New Zealand Tertiary Students

Abstract

Caffeine-related health incidents in New Zealand have escalated over the last two decades. In order to reduce the risk of substance-related harm, it is important to understand the consumers’ motivations for its use. This is especially true for tertiary students who are presumed to be at a higher risk due to seeking out caffeine’s well-known cognitive benefits as well as the targeted marketing of such products to young adults. This study examined the habits and motivations for caffeine consumption in tertiary students in New Zealand. A previously validated caffeine consumption-habits (CaffCo) questionnaire was administered online to 317 tertiary students (n = 169 females), aged ≥16 years. Of the 99.1% of participants who regularly consumed caffeine, coffee (76.3%) tea (71.6%) and chocolate (81.7%) consumption were the most prevalent. Motivations for caffeinated-product consumption differed according to caffeine source. Tea was consumed for the warmth and taste, coffee was consumed to stay awake and for warmth, and chocolate, for the taste and as a treat. Marketing was not identified by participants as influencing their consumption of caffeinated products. Knowledge of motivations for caffeine consumption may assist in identifying strategies to reduce caffeine intake in those New Zealand tertiary students who regularly consume amounts of caffeine that exceed safe level.

Caffeine Intake among Undergraduate Students: Sex Differences, Sources, Motivations, and Associations with Smoking Status and Self-Reported Sleep Quality

“…However, it should be noted that in the present study, about 16% of consumers reported caffeine intake only from chocolate, a caffeine source that was not always considered in previous studies. In spite of this observation, the average daily caffeine consumption observed was similar to that found in previous studies focused on university students from different locations such as the US [6], New Zealand [24], Netherlands [5] and the European surveys examining similar age groups [2]. Furthermore, measured daily caffeine intake was also similar to a previous study performed by our research group in a cohort of slightly older participants from the same university (155.4 mg in the present vs. 164.3 mg in the previous study) [19].…”

An Exploratory Study about the Characterization of Caffeine Consumption in a Portuguese Sample

“…Consequently, coffeehouses allow people to fulfill their needs for social interaction and belonging in the community [ 13 ]. This situation is confirmed when the reasons why people consume caffeine are explored [ 11 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Motives for Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire (MCCQ): validity and reliability of Turkish version

“…The studies-proven benefits of caffeine include increased alertness, endurance and attention, and combating fatigue. While these desirable effects are likely to potentiate caffeine consumption, adverse effects such as anxiety, irritability, and sleep disturbances may also appear to prevent additional or continued caffeine consumption (Stachyshyn et al 2021 ). It has been stated in the literature that caffeine can affect human health in both positive and negative ways.…”