Perceived Stress, Caffeine Consumption, and GPA of Undergraduate Students at a Large Public University

Evidence suggests that college students may increase caffeine consumption to cope with the stress and demands of college. The relationships between perceived stress, caffeine consumption, and grade point average (GPA) were examined in students at a large public university. A self-reported, longitudinal survey was administered to 235 students (30 male, 205 female), ages 20.89 +/- 3.72 years, taking undergraduate courses at the university. Students were surveyed to determine perceived stress (using Cohen’s perceived stress questionnaire), caffeine consumption, workload in and outside of the classroom, and GPA. Surveys were administered at the beginning of the semester and again at midterm. At the beginning of the semester, 88% of students reported having consumed caffeine in the past week; by midterms, this was 90%. Average caffeine consumption increased from 3.31 +/- 2.13 to 3.89 +/- 2.34 servings per week (svgs/wk) between the start of the semester and midterms. Caffeine consumption was highest in seniors (4-6 svgs/wk) and those with GPA’s between 3.1-3.2 (7-8 svgs/wk). In addition, based on a 40-point scale, average stress increased from 15.95 +/- 6.34 at the beginning of the semester to 18.89 +/- 6.94 at midterms. Students categorized as “high stress” had the highest average caffeine consumption of 7-8 svgs/wk. The majority of college students reported consuming caffeine on a regular basis with consumption positively correlated to perceived stress. Because of potential negative health effects associated with excessive caffeine consumption, students should be educated about caffeine and provided with tools to better cope with stress.