Coffee consumption among medical students – dependence or not?
Coffee consumption among medical students – dependence or not?

Summary/Abstract: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world because of its energizing effects. Medical students are often under great stress and in need of energy, which is why they frequently consume coffee. We conducted a prospective study using an online questionnaire among medical students to assess the reasons, frequency and amount of coffee consumption and adverse events experienced. A total of 119 students responded to the questionnaire. The majority consumed coffee (84.9%, n=101), but also caffeinated drinks (68.1%, n=81). The main reasons for drinking coffee were the need to improve productivity (75.2%, n=76) and the need to combat sleep deprivation (64.4%, n=65). A total of 84.2% (n=85) experienced at least one adverse event, including agitation (78.8%, n=67/85), tachycardia (72.9%, n=62/85) and tremor (63.5%, n=54/85). Smoking was encountered in only 21.8% (n=26) of students. Although the beneficial effects of balanced coffee consumption are well known, a large proportion of medical students use it to combat fatigue, sleepiness and to increase productivity.

• Details
• Contents