Assessing the correlation between caffeine consumption and its effect on the academic performance of medical students of Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the correlation between caffeine consumption and its effect on the academic performance of medical students of Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Shifa College of Medicine and its affiliated hospital for about three months from 10th June 2019 to 15th August 2019. Second-year medical students actively took part in it. We used convenient sampling; a total of 101 students eagerly participated in it. We used a detailed self-administered questionnaire in which simplified questions with four to five options were given. Participants marked their responses to the provided options. A correlation was noticed between their Locomotive System and Gastrointestinal System modular exam scores with the questionnaire response. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23. Results: Out of 101 participants, 51.5% were males, and 48.5% were females. About 77.2% of participants were consuming caffeine in any form, while 22.8% never consumed caffeine. Those who consumed moderate (200-400 mg) caffeine in any way performed better in the Locomotive System Module with a mean score of 71.88%. Simultaneously, those who consumed a lot more than 400 mg of caffeine scored better in the Gastrointestinal Tract Module with a mean score of 76.50%. Conclusion: By conducting this study, we identified that caffeine consumption is surprisingly high in medical students. The correlation between caffeine consumption and its effect on medical students’ performance is not significant.