24th Annual Student Research Conference
Grabbing the Bull by the Horns
Sarah A. Folks*, Katharyn Emery, and Meredith G. McGaughey
Dr. Janice Clark Young, Faculty Mentor
Caffeine is a widely used, socially acceptable drug of choice among all ages of Americans, especially college students. The purpose of this research project was to study the relationship between caffeine use/abuse and caffeine knowledge in students at Truman State University (TSU) and Missouri State University (MSU). A 33-item pre-test survey was developed and administered to 169 students at TSU and approximately 250 students at MSU during the spring semester of 2010 in required personal well-being courses. The 34-item post- test was administered eight weeks after a caffeine/energy drink presentation. All collected data was anonymous. Correlations between demographic variables (sex, age, athletic participation, class standing) and students reported knowledge and use of caffeine were analyzed using SPSS. The caffeine behaviors at the two universities were compared. The results provided insight into prior student knowledge of caffeine use, potentially dangerous behaviors, and the prevalence of caffeine use/abuse.
Keywords: caffeine, health behaviors
Topic(s):Health Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 6-5
Location: VH 1010
Time: 9:00