The relationship between daily caffeine consumption and withdrawal symptoms: a questionnaire-based study

Aim: To estimate daily caffeine intake among a group of university students at the Kocaeli Vocational School of Health Services in Turkey, and to determine the relationship between daily caffeine consumption and withdrawal symptoms. Materials and methods: This survey study was conducted using a questionnaire that was administered to 156 university students (129 females, 27 males) at the Kocaeli Vocational School of Health Services in Kocaeli, Turkey. The quantity of caffeine-containing products consumed was recorded on a daily basis, depending on the dietary habits of the consumer.The t test for differences between 2 proportions (using the normal approximation) was used for comparison of the frequency of complaints that began within 12-24 h of the cessation of caffeine consumption in relation to the quantities of daily caffeine consumption at P 0.05. Results: Daily caffeine intake was estimated to range from 0 to 500 mg day–1. A significant increase in headache, fatigue,irritability, and sleepiness/drowsiness (P 0.05) was reported by student’s whose daily caffeine consumption was 200mg than by those whose daily caffeine consumption was 200 mg. Conclusion: The data obtained show that Turkish university students consume similar amounts of caffeine as American,Canadian, Swedish, and British university students. The survey results show that there was a relationship between daily caffeine consumption and withdrawal symptoms (headache, fatigue, irritability, and sleepiness/drowsiness).