A Study of Caffeine Consumption Patterns and Dependence among Management and Science University Students

Caffeine consumption by university students has increased dramatically and caffeinated beverages have been one of the most consumed drinks. Therefore, the aim of this research will focus on examining the caffeine consumption patterns, assessing the level of awareness of caffeine and examining the incidence of caffeine dependence with the frequency of withdrawal symptoms. A cross-sectional study design using four sections of a questionnaire was distributed to 235 MSU students. 81.3% consume caffeine and 18.7% have abstained from caffeine. 42.6% consume caffeine 1–3 times a week with reasons to keep them awake and to stay up late at night. Mean amount of caffeine intake is 306.98 mg per day. In regard to the student's knowledge of the effects of caffeine, 58.7% have moderate knowledge. Meanwhile, 28.3% students have become dependence on caffeine by meeting three out of four criteria listed in DSM-IV. The high percentage of caffeine usage and moderate scores in the caffeine knowledge indicate that most of the students were using caffeine without having sufficient knowledge of the effects of caffeine and withdrawal symptoms they might experience. Caffeine consumption among MSU students is high and they are lacking awareness about caffeine. Some consumers also show to be dependent on caffeine and averting withdrawal symptoms during caffeine abstinence.