ABSTRACT

The use of caffeine to stay awake and alert is a long-lasting habit. The main motivations of the caffeine consumption are concentration, combat drowsiness fatigue and physical performance improvement. This study aimed to assess the habit of caffeine consumption and their awareness of caffeine impact on their health at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia by performing cross-sectional survey of 333 medical students. Most of the respondents were male (69.4%), in the age group of 21 to 23 and nearly half of them are in pre-clinical year. Majority of them (64%) consumed caffeine daily, while 24.5% consume caffeine weekly, and 11.5% <1/week. Enhancement of morning awakening (46.3%), mood enhancement (45.7%), increase alertness (45.3%), and concentration during study time (45%) were the most prominent reasons to consume caffeinated beverages among participants. Most participants agreed that caffeine can increase arousal (63.7%), cause lack of sleep (80.8%), increase blood pressure (76.0%), and increase heart rate (90.4%). Our finding will enlighten in provision a strategy for educating students for consuming caffeine more acceptable in a planned way. Keywords: Caffeine, medical students, adverse effects, academic performance

https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2019/August/MS_IJBPAS_2019_4779.pdf

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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2019/8.8.4779