CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION AMONG STUDENTS: PREVALENCE, MOTIVATION, AND POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31073/foodresources2026-26-03

Keywords:

caffeine, student youth, eating behavior, safe consumption

Abstract

Subject. The peculiarities and level of caffeine-containing product consumption by student youth, the structure of caffeine sources, motivational factors, and subjective physiological reactions associated with its intake are considered. Purpose. To study the level, structure, and peculiarities of consumption of individual caffeine sources among student youth, as well as to identify the factors influencing the formation of such consumption patterns within the context of the modern Ukrainian socio-cultural and educational environment. Methods. A comprehensive approach was applied, which included an anonymous survey of first-year students at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (n=236) using an original questionnaire developed based on EFSA recommendations. A hygienic assessment of the diet was carried out by calculating the estimated daily caffeine intake, considering its average content in major food sources. Statistical processing of the results was performed using descriptive statistics methods. Based on the respondents' anthropometric data and EFSA recommendations, an adapted scale of caffeine load levels was constructed. Results. It was established that the most common sources of caffeine are tea (95.8%), chocolate (90.7%), and ground coffee (71.6%). Gender differences were revealed: females consume tea and chocolate more often, while males prefer coffee and energy drinks. Over 95% of students combine at least two sources of caffeine. The average daily caffeine intake is 257.8 mg/day. A high consumption level (250–400 mg/day) was recorded in 38.5% of females and 43.2% of males, while an excessive level (>400 mg/day) was found in 12.6% of females and 17.2% of males. A dose-dependent relationship between the level of caffeine consumption and the frequency of vegetative symptoms was confirmed. Females showed greater sensitivity to caffeine: 43.9% reported negative effects compared to 30.0% of males. The main motives for consumption were identified as taste preferences (41.9%), the need to increase alertness (24.6%), and established habits (13.6%). Scope of results. The obtained results can be used to develop preventive programs for the safe consumption of caffeine among young people, improve educational programs on hygienic education, and serve as a basis for further research in the field of nutrition science and public health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Petrova, A. I., Shanyhin, A. V. (2024). Vykorystannia enerhetychnykh napoiv sered molodi ta yikh vplyv na zdorovia [Consumption of energy drinks among youth and their impact on health]. Svit naukovykh doslidzhen. Issue 35. Proceedings of the International Multidisciplinary Scientific Internet Conference (Ternopil, Ukraine; Opole, Poland, November 20–21, 2024). Ternopil: FOP Shpak V.B. Р. 239–241. [in Ukrainian].

2. Fertsak, Kh., Khopta, N. (2025). Kava u zhytti studenta, kofein ta zdorovia liudyny. [Coffee in student life: caffeine and human health]. Universum. № 20. Р. 334–338. [in Ukrainian].

3. Abbott, P. J. (1986). Caffeine: a toxicological overview. Med J Aust. Vol. 145(10). Р. 518–521. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1986.tb139455.x.

4. Choi, J. (2020). Motivations influencing caffeine consumption behaviors among college students in Korea: Associations with sleep quality. Nutrients. Vol.12(4). Р. 953. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040953.

5. Kharaba, Z., Sammani, N., Ashour, S., Ghemrawi, R., Al Meslamani, A. Z., Al-Azayzih, A., Buabeid, M. A., Alfoteih, Y. (2022). Caffeine consumption among various university students in the UAE, exploring the frequencies, different sources and reporting adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms. J Nutr Metab. Article ID 5762299. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5762299.

6. Mahoney, C. R., Giles, G. E., Marriott, B. P., Judelson, D. A., Glickman, E. L., Geiselman, P. J., Lieberman, H. R. (2019). Intake of caffeine from all sources and reasons for use by college students. Clin Nutr. Vol. 38 (2). Р. 668–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.04.004.

7. Morozova, L. P. (2024). Khimichni vlastyvosti ta fiziolohichna diia kofeinu ta vyvchennia stymuliuvalnoho vplyvu kavy na orhanizm liudyny. [Chemical properties and physiological effects of caffeine and the study of the stimulating effect of coffee on the human body] Prodovolchi resursy. Vol. 12 (23). Р. 119–130. https://doi.org/10.31073/foodresources2024-23-14 [in Ukrainian].

8. Wikoff, D., Welsh, B.T., Henderson, R., Brorby, G.P., Britt, J., Myers, E., Goldberger, J., Lieberman, H.R., O'Brien, C., Peck, J., Tenenbein, M., Weaver, C., Harvey, S., Urban, J., Doepker, C. (2017). Systematic review of the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption in healthy adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children. Food Chem Toxicol. Vol. 109 (Pt 1). Р. 585–648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.002.

9. Zhou, A., Hyppönen, E. (2019). Long-term coffee consumption, caffeine metabolism genetics, and risk of cardiovascular disease: a prospective analysis of up to 347,077 individuals and 8,368 cases. Am J Clin Nutr. Vol. 109. Р. 509–516. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy297.

10. Willson, C. (2018). The clinical toxicology of caffeine: a review and case study. Toxicology Reports. Vol. 5. Р. 1140–1152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.11.002.

11. Bhojaraja, V. S., Janardhan, H., Hameed, N. A., Gulsoom, A. R., Ali, M. Z. (2016). Knowledge, attitude and practices towards consumption of caffeine containing drinks among the student population of Ras al Khaimah medical and health sciences university, UAE. Int J Res Med Sci. Vol. 4 (8). Р. 3537–3541. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20162326.

12. Rauf, M. Q., Sharma, L., Essiet, E., Elhassan, O., Fahim, R., Irem-Oko, F., Sreedharan, J. (2025). Caffeine consumption patterns, health impacts, and media influence: a narrative review. Cureus. Vol. 17 (6). e86215. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.86215.

13. Melamud, Y. (2023). The effects of rising caffeine consumption in adolescents. Journal of Student Research. Vol. 12 (1). Р. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i1.4373.

14. Mackus, M., van de Loo, A. J. A. E., Benson, S., Scholey, A., Verster, J. C. (2016). Consumption of caffeinated beverages and the awareness of their caffeine content among Dutch students. Appetite. Vol. 103. Р. 353–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.038.

15. European Food Safety Authority. (2015). Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal. Vol. 13 (5). Р. 1–112. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102.

16. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2025). Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more. February 6. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372.

17. European Food Information Council. (2024). Caffeine levels in different foods and drinks. July 31. https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/caffeine-levels-in-different-foods-and-drink.

Downloads

Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

Kit, L., Fedyna, L., Tymoshuk, S., & Pysarevska, S. (2026). CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION AMONG STUDENTS: PREVALENCE, MOTIVATION, AND POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS. FOOD RESOURCES, 14(26), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.31073/foodresources2026-26-03

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 26 (2026): Food Resources

Section

Технічні науки

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Л. Я. Кіт, Л. О. Федина, С. В. Тимошук, С. В. Писаревська

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Licensing and Copyright

The collection provides immediate open access, ensuring that the content is freely available to the global community, facilitating a broader exchange of knowledge in accordance with the principles of open science.

By submitting an article to the editors of the collection, authors confirm that the manuscript has not been submitted to other publications and grant the journal the right of first publication in accordance with the terms of the Copyright Transfer Agreement.

Copyright. Authors retain full copyright to their articles without restriction and simultaneously grant the journal a non-exclusive license for publication, distribution, and indexing.

Licensing. The collection publishes articles under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.uk

This license permits:

  • copying and distributing the material in any medium or format;
  • use of the material for educational and research purposes.
  • Subject to the following conditions:
  • attribution of the author, source, and license link;
  • noncommercial use;
  • no distribution of modified material (no derivatives).

First Publication Rights. Authors grant the collection “Food Resources” first publication rights, these allowing the collection to distribute the scientific material with attribution of authorship and the original publication in the collection.

Self-Archiving. Authors may upload any version of their articles (preprint, postprint, or published version) to institutional, disciplinary, or personal repositories without embargo, provided they indicate that the article was published in the collection "Food Resources" and include the CC BY-NC-ND license.