Prevalence of caffeine-dependent students in the electromechanical engineering program at Universidad Technical Equinoctial

Abstract

Caffeine consumption is a common practice among university students to cope with academic demands. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of caffeine-dependent students in the Electromechanical Engineering program at the Technical University Equinoccial of Ecuador. A non-experimental and descriptive design was used. Surveys were conducted with 156 students to assess their caffeine consumption habits, product preferences, and knowledge of its effects. The results indicated that 40,4 % of the students consume caffeine daily, and 84,6 % have a low level of knowledge about its consequences. The prevalence of consumption was higher among men, although women showed a higher tendency in percentage terms. The study concludes the need to implement educational and awareness strategies on responsible caffeine consumption and its health risks, and thus an educational and preventive proposal is made to the institution subject of this study.