Caffeine Intake and Its Association with Mental Health Status among Pharmacy Students at UiTM Puncak Alam
https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.19.3.6
- Author:
Nurul Atikah Annuar
1
;
John Kwong Siew Shia
2
;
Noor Jannah Yob
2
;
Yuslina Zakaria
2
,
3
;
Siti Nooraishah Hussin
2
Author Information
1. Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
2. Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia&
3. Accounting Research Institute (ARI), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Caffeine intake, Anxiety disorder, Depression, Mental health status
- From:Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences
2023;19(No.3):36-44
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Introduction: Caffeine is a psychoactive substance widely consumed over the past decades. The effect of caffeine
can be either beneficial or harmful. It increases cognitive performances, including attention, alertness and concentration. However, high caffeine intake may also induce an anxiogenic effect, causing symptoms such as rapid heart
rate, restlessness and nervousness. This study aimed to determine the association between caffeine intake and mental
health disorders such as anxiety and depression among undergraduate pharmacy students at UiTM Puncak Alam.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with stratified random convenience sampling. A total of 270 undergraduate pharmacy students in UiTM Puncak Alam, Selangor participated in this study. A set of questionnaires was distributed using the Google Form platform. Standard General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire
(PHQ-9) scoring were used to assess the level of anxiety and depression among the respondents, respectively. SPSS
version 27.0 was used to analyse the data. Results: About 70.4% of the students consumed caffeine, while 29.6% of
the students did not consume caffeine. No significant association was found between caffeine status and the mental
health scoring of GAD-7 (χ2
=4.639, p=0.200) and PHQ-9 (χ2
=5.256, p=0.262). Conclusion: Non-daily consumption
and a low dose of caffeine intake patterns are good practises to prevent the development of anxiety or depression
conditions, although the associations were not significant. Public awareness on possible anxiogenic effect and mental related disorders due to caffeine consumption need to be initiated, as nowadays, the caffeine intake behaviour
has become a trendy lifestyle among the young adults.
- Full text:11.2023my1506.pdf
