Caffeine Consumption
Caffeine Consumption Among College Students At Rowan University
Mike Wolf
HLT 00327-1: Consumer Health Decisions
Dr. Bullard
10/26/15
Rowan University
Introduction
For most people, no morning is a good morning without their coffee. According to The Food and Drug Administration (2012), average consumption of caffeine can range from 200-300mg per day with most sources coming from coffee, chocolate, tea, and energy drinks. It has become a way of life for most Americans, just as the rest of the world. Caffeinated drinks make up the vast majority of intake among most users, with college age students ranking highest in daily consumption.
Caffeine on college campuses has become the norm, and used among the vast majority of students almost daily. According to Lieberman, H., Marriott, B., Judelson, D., Glickman, E., Geiselman, P., Giles, G., & Mahoney, C. (2015), five universities studied had shown caffeine usage among 92% (N=1,248) of all students with an averaged 159mg of caffeine intake daily, coming mostly from coffee. According to Lieberman and other studies alike, caffeine is widely used and accepted as a necessity for daily life.
Research Question: What are the preferred sources of caffeine of students attending Rowan University?
Significance of the Problem: While there have been some studies on caffeine intake among college campuses, there are many variables that are not taken into consideration. Variables such as size of school, geographical, or major. The majority of consumption of Americans is from coffee, however energy drinks are still in their infancy in terms of market share. Consumption rates also differ between age, and gender.
Review of Literature
Caffeine consumption is part of a morning ritual for most people around the world. Whether it is a cup of coffee in the morning before work, an energy drink in the afternoon to keep you going, or a simple piece of chocolate, caffeine is all around us and plays a huge part in our lives. For this study specifically, we are looking to gain knowledge of caffeine consumption of those who Rowan University. There are many studies that look at college students and their intake of the drug, but few take the next step and provide information such as what the students major was, or did they live on campus or not? Was coffee or energy drinks available to them during the semester?
The first difference that studies show is between genders. According to Lieberman, et al (2015), females tend to consume slightly more than males in coffee, however males consumed more caffeine through energy drinks. Studies also link most common reasons of use to be for feeling awake, taste, social aspects, and improved concentration (Lieberman et al, 2015). The findings they report coincide with what is happening on college campuses everywhere. Coffee by and large is the most consumed and the favorable choice
Harvard University (2010) reported that 54% of Americans over the age of 18 consume coffee daily. Not only are they consuming it every day, but they are drinking it in large quantities. Harvard University (2010) stated that average Americans are consuming 3.1 cups of coffee daily, with the serving size per cup around 9 ounces. That’s almost 28 ounces of coffee a day.
It is also debated on if more is better in regards to caffeine. According to Albrecht et al (2013), once certain levels of caffeine are ingested, more may actually become a detriment to cognitive abilities. In the case of college students, this information may not be readily available. The common “all-nighter” is actually hindering results and outcomes of the students with too little, or too much caffeine ingested. Of course the person’s body composition comes into consideration, however the overall theme still stands that too much caffeine can become a detriment.
Sleep deprivation is also common among college students. Those looking for a quick solution turn to caffeine as a solution, and studies show it is effective. According to Souissi et al (2015), when in a sleep deprived state and caffeine is taken, reaction time is increased compared to a placebo group. These results have a large carry over to students that partake in all-nighters and rely on the caffeine to keep them going.
While caffeine has its perks, it also has some dark sides. Brown University Health Services report that caffeine in large doses can be hurt one’s ability to study, as well as cause headaches if large enough dose is taken, and cases of insomnia. While the right amount of caffeine is beneficial to a student’s life, taken in excess can deter the rewards. With many supplements, dosage is key to the desired outcome.
Methods
Subjects
Students at Rowan University were studied through a short questionnaire about consumption of caffeine. Admission into this study is strictly by attendance of Rowan University to better understand consumption statistics. Students were selected at random throughout the day among various different academic buildings on campus to provide variety among several variables such as major.
Tools
Administration of the surveys was done at random divided evenly among genders (50% male, 50% female). The objective was to reduce the amount of error in our data collection. When, where, and at what timesof datacollection were all vital parts to this study. Administration of surveys collected data at separate buildings, at the same time of day, and over the span of the work week. The day of the week may alter results, assuming that Monday may have the highest consumption and Friday with the lowest. Data was collected from separate buildings, however at the same time of day to insure consistency.
Timeline
Surveys were administered after approval of the proposal (10/26/15). Surveys were administered over the course of one week (Monday-Friday) to better represent a population of students rather than just one day.
Results
When compared to prior research done on caffeine consumption among users on college campuses, Rowan University appears to follow the trend. From the data collected, there is a better understanding of caffeine consumption, and by who. From the questionnaire, certain demographics within the college are more visible. Variables such as gender, age, and building are better represented and illustrated in the graphs below.
When students were asked if they consumed too much caffeine, the results were split five yes, and five no. When class rank was analyzed, all freshman, and sophomores responded yes, they consume too much caffeine. Juniors answered no, while senior were split one yes, one no. Age followed a similar pattern to that of class rank. From ages 18-19, caffeine intake was stated as too much. From ages 20-22 however, caffeine intake was not an issue. From ages 23 and above, too much caffeine was consumed. When asked what their choice of caffeine intake was, Coffee was the top pick with 50%, Energy drinks and soda both with 20%, and 10% did not consume caffeine.
Discussion
What are the preferred sources of caffeine of students attending Rowan University? When compared to research already conducted by Lieberman, et al (2015), and Harvard University (2010), Rowan University reflects with a positive correlation. Half the population surveyed choice of intake was coffee, with female participants consuming more. Energy drinks were among the lowest consumed, evenly split between male and female.
From the results received, it can be interpreted that as you age and move up in from freshman to senior, your intake and perceived “limit” also increase from too much, to not much. This may also be a factor of tolerance. Further research may be needed to conclude tolerance is an unaccounted variable. One aspect that increased the representation of the population, was the one participant that answered with no caffeine consumed. With caffeine so readily available, having a participant answer no shows a true range of answers that may not always be accounted for.
If the study should be conducted again, a larger participant pool would be beneficial. While this study was not limited to its surveyed population, more participants would reflect a more even distribution of caffeine consumption. Modes of caffeine consumption such as tea, energy shots, and pre-workout are all commonly used products, however received no votes. If the amount of surveyed participants were to increase, distribution of surveys would still need to remain even among buildings to maintain uniformity among the population at Rowan University.
Survey Questions
- (Yes/No) Do you think you consume too much caffeine?
- Which do you consume daily?
(Yes/No) Coffee
(Yes/No) Soda
(Yes/No) Energy Drink
(Yes/No) Caffeine Pill/Powder
(Yes/No) Energy Shots
(Yes/No) Tea
(Yes/No) Preworkout
- Male/Female
- Age: 18__ 19__ 20__ 21__ 22__ 23__ 24__ 25+__
- Freshman__ Sophomore__ Junior__ Senior__
Works Cited
Albrecht, S., Morris, H., & Vieyra, M. (2013). Dose Dependent Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance and Neuronal Activation. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
Caffeine. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
Coffee by the Numbers. (2010, October 4). Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
Lieberman, H., Marriott, B., Judelson, D., Glickman, E., Geiselman, P., Giles, G., & Mahoney, C. (2015, April 1). Intake of Caffeine from All Sources Including Energy Drinks and Reasons for Use in US College Students. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
Somogyi, L. (2012, December 1). CAFFEINE INTAKE BY THE U.S. POPULATION. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
Souissi, M., Abedelmalek, S., Bou Dhiba, D., Theodoros Nikolaidis, P., Ben Awicha, H., Chtourou, H., & Sahnoun, Z. (2013). Morning caffeine ingestion increases cognitive function and short-term maximal performance in footballer players after partial sleep deprivation. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from