Page 1 of 4
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 8
Publication Date: August 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.98.12974. Park, M. (2022). Factors Affecting the Drinking Rate of Adolescents. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(8). 437-440.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Attitudes and Behaviors Toward High Caffeine Intake Among
Adolescents
Min-Hee Park
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to identify the attitudes and behaviors of adolescents
with a high caffeine intake in one region. The participants in this study were 13,484
male students and 14,408 female adolescents aged 11–18 years. Two-sample t-tests
and F-tests were used for the data analysis. The results of this study showed that
attitudes toward high caffeine intake among adolescents differed according to sex
(t=2.923, p=0.003) and school (p<0.001). It was found that high caffeine intake was
most acceptable in general high schools. In addition, 33.3% of those who had
recently consumed more than once a week consumed high-caffeinated beverages. It
is necessary to provide education on high-caffeine beverages, which can become
addictive, along with smoking and drinking.
Keywords: adolescent, high caffeine intake, attitudes, behaviors
INTRODUCTION
Among adolescents, highly caffeinated drinks (energy drinks, coffee, etc.) are gaining popularity
as they are known to be effective in reducing fatigue and increasing alertness [1]. In particular,
students have a permissive attitude toward high-caffeine drinks because they have the effect of
increasing concentration and short-term memorization skills for exam preparation while
staying at school for a long time. There is a risk of overuse and addiction, because caffeine can
be used freely without any restrictions on intake at school. Excessive caffeine intake through
highly caffeinated beverages can cause various physical side effects such as heart palpitations,
anxiety, agitation, headache, and nervousness [2-3]. There is a risk of drunk driving and death
[4-5]. To prevent the side effects caused by uncontrolled high caffeine intake, basic research is
needed to identify the actual conditions and attitudes of adolescents toward high caffeine intake
and to prepare guidelines for its use.
This study aims to provide basic data for establishing youth addiction prevention policies in a
local city. The specific study objectives were as follows.
1. To identify the attitudes towards high caffeine intake among adolescents
2. To identify the behaviors of adolescents on high caffeine intake
METHODS
Study design
This descriptive study investigated the high caffeine intake and behaviors of adolescents in one
region of South Korea.
Page 2 of 4
438
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 8, August-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Participants and data
This data used part of the high-caffeine drink intake data from the public data of the 2021
Drinking Survey Study [6] conducted on adolescents in City A. Data from a total of 26,844
participants from 12 elementary schools, 171 middle schools, and 144 general high schools
were used. Data collection was conducted using a self-reported online survey, and only students
who voluntarily wanted to participate were surveyed.
Study instruments
1. 'High-caffeine beverage intake' attitude: rated on a 5-point scale ( 1: 'very acceptable', 2:
'somewhat acceptable', 3: 'moderately acceptable', 4: 'somewhat disagree', 5: 'strongly
disagree'). A lower score indicates a more acceptable caffeine intake.
2. 'High-caffeine beverage intake' behavior: 'How often did you drink high-caffeine
beverages in the past seven days?' 'one-two times/week', 'five-six times/week',
'everyday', 'twice daily', and 'three or more times a day' were surveyed.
RESULT
Attitudes toward high caffeine intake among adolescents
High caffeine intake differed depending on sex; high caffeine intake was acceptable in female
students (t=2.923, p=0.003). In addition, in the analysis by schools, general high schools
showed the lowest score, which can be considered acceptable (p<0.001)(Table1).
Table 1. Attitudes toward high caffeine intake
(N=28,256)
Group N Mean SD t or F p
Gender
Male students 13,848 2.85 1.458
2.923 0.003 Female
students 14,408 2.80 1.376
School
level
Elementary
school a 1,775 4.33 0.984
1546.401
Scheffe test:
a>b>d>c
<0.001
Middle school
b 14,123 3.06 1.368
General high
school c 9,485 2.27 1.269
specialized
vocational
high school d
2,873 2.51 1.360
Behaviors toward high caffeine intake among adolescents
As for the behavior of 'consumption of highly caffeinated beverages', 'not drinking in the last 7
days' accounted for 67.7%, and consuming ‘more than once a week' was 33.3% (Table 2).
Page 3 of 4
439
Park, M. (2022). Factors Affecting the Drinking Rate of Adolescents. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(8). 437-440.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.98.12974
Table 2. Behaviors toward high caffeine intake
Variables
Gender
n(%)
School level
n(%) Total
Male n(%)
students
Female
students
Elementary
school
Middle
school
High school
General Specialized
vocational
No eating 9,562
(69.0)
9,570
(66.4)
1,604
(90.4)
10,212
(72.3)
5,474
(57.7)
1,842
(64.1)
19,132
(67.7)
1-2 times/week 2,590
(18.7)
2,820
(19.6)
113
(6.4)
2,589
(18.3)
2,128
(22.4)
580
(20.2)
5,410
(19.1)
3-4 times/week 942
(6.8)
1,118
(7.8)
22
(1.2)
780
(5.5)
1,005
(10.6)
253
(8.8)
2,060
(7.3)
5-6 times/week 271
(2.0)
325
(2.3)
10
(0.6)
218
(1.5)
307
(3.2)
61
(2.1)
596
(2.1)
1 time/day 263
(1.9)
351
(2.4)
12
(0.7)
181
(1.3)
343
(3.6)
78
(2.7)
614
(2.2)
2 times/day 125
(0.9)
145
(1.0)
5
(0.3)
86
(0.6)
144
(1.5)
35
(1.2)
270
(1.0)
3 or more times/day 95
(0.7)
79
(0.5)
9
(0.5)
57
(0.4)
84
(0.9)
24
(0.8)
174
(0.6)
DISCUSSION
The results of this study showed that high caffeine intake was most acceptable in general high
schools. Awareness of the side effects caused by high-caffeine drinks among adolescents is low,
and adolescents are not well aware of the recommended intake standards [7]. Adolescents who
consume highly caffeinated beverages are also more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and illegal
drugs [8]. It is necessary to identify high caffeine use among adolescents, reduce high caffeine
use, and develop effective educational strategies to mitigate potential harm.