ABSTRACT

Background:
Coffee is the most popular drink globally and has various health benefits, including weight control. This study aims to examine coffee drinking patterns, its determinants, and the relationship with body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI) among young adults.

Methods:
The participants were 1670 healthy young adults: males (n = 210) and females (n = 1460), aged 17-23 years. Statistical analysis was the independent sample t-test (p < 0.05).

Results:
We found that the prevalence of coffee drinkers was 40.60% (59.52% of males; 37.88% of females). Coffee was consumed most frequently once daily (45.57%), in the morning (50.75%), and a cup daily (55.31%). A total of 39.97% of people drank coffee for 1 to 5 years. The main reason for drinking coffee was to avoid drowsiness (34.07%). Arabica and Robusta coffee were the most popular varieties (43.95% and 25.52%, respectively). The coffee drinkers' BW and BMI were lower than those of non-coffee drinkers; however, the statistical analysis showed that coffee consumption has no significance in reducing BW (p = 0.24 and p = 0.23) and BMI (p = 0.12 and p = 0.11) in young men and women.

Conclusion:
Coffee consumption is common among young adults (aged 17 to 23 years) in Aceh, Indonesia, with men having a higher prevalence than women. Coffee drinkers had lower BW and BMI than non-coffee drinkers, although the difference had no statistical significance. Most coffee drinkers have been drinking it for 1 to 5 years, one cup daily in the morning, and Arabica is more popular than Robusta. The most common withdrawal symptoms reported were drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, and headaches.

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