Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the consumption of coffee beverages and energy contribution ratios of coffee beverages and accompanying snacks by college students in Deajeon City and Chungnam Province in Korea. Questionnaire survey, dietary survey, and snack survey using food record method during 3-days were carried out. As a result, we found that 86.9% of male students and 75.6% of female students consumed coffee beverages usually, with no differences between the two groups. However, the frequency of coffee beverages consumed by female students out-numbered that of male students by 1 cup a day to 1-2 cups a week (p<0.05). Furthermore, male students most likely consumed coffee beverages at schools or academies, but female students consumed them at coffee shops (p<0.01). The reasons male students gave to consume coffee beverages were for scent, taste, fatigue, and to stay awake. Similarly, the reasons female students gave to consume coffee beverages were for scent, taste, habit, and to stay awake (p<0.01). Fully 58.1% of male students and 80.0% of female students ate snacks along with coffee beverages (p<0.01). Most male students substituted a coffee beverage and accompanying snack for a regular meal once a month. Female students were doing it at most 2-3 times a month (p<0.05). The mean daily dietary energy intake of male students was 1,924 kcal/d, and of female students was 1,518 kcal/d (p<0.001), which both were below the estimated energy requirements. Male students obtained 285.6 kcal/d and female students obtained 289.5 kcal/d from coffee beverages and accompanying snacks. There was a significant different in dietary intake of energy (p<0.05), calcium, and iron (p<0.001) for each ratio of reference intake between male and female students. The students who ate larger amounts of coffee beverages and accompanying snacks consumed less dietary energy, protein, calcium, and iron, respectively (p<0.05). These results show that many students consume coffee beverages regularly and obtain large amounts of energy from coffee beverages and accompanying snacks. It also shows that student's dietary nutrient intake tends to be poorer, as he or she obtains more energy from coffee beverages and accompanying snacks. Therefore, it is critical to monitor the influence of consumption of coffee beverages and accompanying snacks on the dietary nutrient intakes and health of college students, and to provide nutrition education about the proper consumption of coffee beverages and accompanying snacks based on scientific evidence.

Keywords

• Coffee beverages;
• snacks;
• energy;
• nutrient;
• college students