The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between habitual caffeine consumption and problem behavior, problematic caffeine use, licit drug use, and sleep problems.
Methods:
College students (n=225) completed a questionnaire about weekly caffeine consumption, sleep, and symptoms of problematic caffeine use. Eighteen-year-olds (n=60) were also administered the Youth Self Report (YSR), a standardized measure of problematic behavior.
Results:
A total of 79% of respondents reported using caffeine at least on a weekly basis. About three quarters of the full sample indicated one or more characteristics of problematic caffeine use. The most commonly endorsed characteristic was having tried unsuccessfully to limit caffeine consumption (49.7%). Of those who indicated having had experienced caffeine withdrawal symptoms (32.8%), half reported that withdrawal symptoms interfered with their normal daily activities. The average number of alcoholic drinks consumed in a typical week was positively correlated with the average weekly caffeine consumption, after controlling for number of cigarettes and gender (p<0.001). Greater caffeine consumption was negatively correlated with total sleep time on week nights. Among the subsample of 18-year-olds, level of caffeine consumption was positively correlated with somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, and total problem behavior on the YSR.
Conclusion:
Caffeine consumption was associated with a variety of problem behaviors in a sample of young adults. Future research may help to elucidate the nature of the associations. Meanwhile, caffeine consumption may serve as an important marker of problematic behavior in young people.
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