Prevalence of Caffeine Consumers, Daily Caffeine Consumption, and Factors Associated with Caffeine Use Among Active Duty United States Military Personnel

Overview

Journal Nutr J

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Nutritional Sciences

Date 2022 Apr 15

PMID 35421992

Authors

Joseph J Knapik

Ryan A Steelman

Daniel W Trone

Emily K Farina

Harris R Lieberman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although representative data on caffeine intake in Americans are available, these data do not include US service members (SMs). The few previous investigations in military personnel largely involve convenience samples. This cross-sectional study examined prevalence of caffeine consumers, daily caffeine consumption, and factors associated with caffeine use among United States active duty military service members (SMs).

Methods: A stratified random sample of SMs were asked to complete an on-line questionnaire on their personal characteristics and consumption of caffeinated products (exclusive of dietary supplements). Eighteen percent (n = 26,680) of successfully contacted SMs (n = 146,365) completed the questionnaire.

Results: Overall, 87% reported consuming caffeinated products ≥1 time/week. Mean ± standard error per-capita consumption (all participants) was 218 ± 2 and 167 ± 3 mg/day for men and women, respectively. Caffeine consumers ingested 243 ± 2 mg/day (251 ± 2 mg/day men, 195 ± 3 mg/day women). On a body-weight basis, men and women consumed respectively similar caffeine amounts (2.93 vs 2.85 mg/day/kg; p = 0.12). Among individual caffeinated products, coffee had the highest use (68%), followed by sodas (42%), teas (29%), energy drinks (29%) and gums/candy/medications (4%). In multivariable logistic regression, characteristics independently associated with caffeine use (≥1 time/week) included female gender, older age, white race/ethnicity, higher body mass index, tobacco use or former use, greater alcohol intake, and higher enlisted or officer rank.

Conclusion: Compared to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, daily caffeine consumption (mg/day) by SMs was higher, perhaps reflecting higher mental and physical occupational demands on SMs.

Citing Articles

Association between caffeine intake and erectile dysfunction: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Karimi M, Asbaghi O, Kazemi K, Sedgi F, Soleimani E, Moghadam H J Health Popul Nutr. 2024; 43(1):154.

PMID: 39342393 PMC: 11439322. DOI: 10.1186/s41043-024-00645-w.

Frequency and Amount of Caffeine Consumption and Its Effects on Sleep Quality Among the General Population in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia, in 2024.

Khan R, Alqurashi J Cureus. 2024; 16(7):e65730.

PMID: 39082042 PMC: 11287780. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.65730.

Self-reported caffeine consumption miss-matched consumption measured by plasma levels of caffeine and its metabolites: results from two population-based studies.

Laaboub N, Ranjbar S, Strippoli M, Marques-Vidal P, Estoppey-Younes S, Ponte B Eur J Nutr. 2024; 63(5):1555-1564.

PMID: 38703227 PMC: 11329688. DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03351-9.

Coffee Consumption Behavior in Young Adults: Exploring Motivations, Frequencies, and Reporting Adverse Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms.

Lone A, Alnawah A, Hadadi A, Alturkie F, Aldreweesh Y, Alhedhod A Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023; 16:3925-3937.

PMID: 37753214 PMC: 10519208. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S427867.

Overview of Caffeine Effects on Human Health and Emerging Delivery Strategies.

Saraiva S, Jacinto T, Goncalves A, Gaspar D, Silva L Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023; 16(8).

PMID: 37630983 PMC: 10459237. DOI: 10.3390/ph16081067.

References

Hiza H, Casavale K, Guenther P, Davis C . Diet quality of Americans differs by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and education level. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012; 113(2):297-306. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.08.011. View

McLellan T, Riviere L, Williams K, McGurk D, Lieberman H . Caffeine and energy drink use by combat arms soldiers in Afghanistan as a countermeasure for sleep loss and high operational demands. Nutr Neurosci. 2018; 22(11):768-777. DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2018.1443996. View

Sachse C, Brockmoller J, Bauer S, Roots I . Functional significance of a C-->A polymorphism in intron 1 of the cytochrome P450 CYP1A2 gene tested with caffeine. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1999; 47(4):445-9. PMC: 2014233. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.1999.00898.x. View

Lieberman H, Stavinoha T, McGraw S, White A, Hadden L, Marriott B . Caffeine use among active duty US Army soldiers. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012; 112(6):902-12, 912.e1-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.02.001. View

Huang Z, Qu W, Eguchi N, Chen J, Schwarzschild M, Fredholm B . Adenosine A2A, but not A1, receptors mediate the arousal effect of caffeine. Nat Neurosci. 2005; 8(7):858-9. DOI: 10.1038/nn1491. View

Watson N, Badr M, Belenky G, Bliwise D, Buxton O, Buysse D . Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. J Clin Sleep Med. 2015; 11(6):591-2. PMC: 4442216. DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.4758. View

Ribeiro J, Sebastiao A . Caffeine and adenosine. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010; 20 Suppl 1:S3-15. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-1379. View

BARONE J, Roberts H . Caffeine consumption. Food Chem Toxicol. 1996; 34(1):119-29. DOI: 10.1016/0278-6915(95)00093-3. View

Istvan J, Matarazzo J . Tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use: a review of their interrelationships. Psychol Bull. 1984; 95(2):301-26. View

10.

Miller K . Energy drinks, race, and problem behaviors among college students. J Adolesc Health. 2008; 43(5):490-7. PMC: 2575122. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.03.003. View

11.

Cappelletti S, Piacentino D, Fineschi V, Frati P, Cipolloni L, Aromatario M . Caffeine-Related Deaths: Manner of Deaths and Categories at Risk. Nutrients. 2018; 10(5). PMC: 5986491. DOI: 10.3390/nu10050611. View

12.

Assaf A, Parker D, Lapane K, Coccio E, Evangelou E, Carleton R . Does the Y chromosome make a difference? Gender differences in attempts to change cardiovascular disease risk factors. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2003; 12(4):321-30. DOI: 10.1089/154099903765448835. View

13.

Loftfield E, Freedman N, Dodd K, Vogtmann E, Xiao Q, Sinha R . Coffee Drinking Is Widespread in the United States, but Usual Intake Varies by Key Demographic and Lifestyle Factors. J Nutr. 2016; 146(9):1762-8. PMC: 4997286. DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.233940. View

14.

Marczinski C . Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: consumption patterns and motivations for use in U.S. college students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011; 8(8):3232-45. PMC: 3166739. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph8083232. View

15.

Bjorngaard J, Nordestgaard A, Taylor A, Treur J, Gabrielsen M, Munafo M . Heavier smoking increases coffee consumption: findings from a Mendelian randomization analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 2017; 46(6):1958-1967. PMC: 5837196. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyx147. View

16.

Ladwig K, Marten-Mittag B, Formanek B, Dammann G . Gender differences of symptom reporting and medical health care utilization in the German population. Eur J Epidemiol. 2000; 16(6):511-8. DOI: 10.1023/a:1007629920752. View

17.

Nawrot P, Jordan S, Eastwood J, ROTSTEIN J, Hugenholtz A, Feeley M . Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Addit Contam. 2003; 20(1):1-30. DOI: 10.1080/0265203021000007840. View

18.

Andrews K, Schweitzer A, Zhao C, Holden J, Roseland J, Brandt M . The caffeine contents of dietary supplements commonly purchased in the US: analysis of 53 products with caffeine-containing ingredients. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2007; 389(1):231-9. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-007-1437-2. View

19.

Iversen A, Kraft P . Does socio-economic status and health consciousness influence how women respond to health related messages in media?. Health Educ Res. 2006; 21(5):601-10. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyl014. View

20.

Wang Y, Chen X . How much of racial/ethnic disparities in dietary intakes, exercise, and weight status can be explained by nutrition- and health-related psychosocial factors and socioeconomic status among US adults?. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011; 111(12):1904-11. PMC: 3225889. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2011.09.036. View