The association between caffeine consumption and memory, anxiety, and stress levels among students: A crosssectional study
Anfal AL-Dalaeen, Zainah Alsabbagh, Dania MustafaBACKGROUND:
Caffeine, the most widely consumed worldwide, is primarily coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks. Moderate intake of caffeine may enhance alertness and cognitive performance, whereas excessive consumption is associated with heightened anxiety, stress, and memory impairment. tudents, experiencing substantial psychological demands and high caffeine use, constitute a vulnerable yet understudied population. To investigate the relationship between caffeine-containing products and memory performance, anxiety, and stress among university students in Jordan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2025 involving 204 university students at Applied Science Private University. Data collection including demographic information and face-to-face interviews using a caffeine intake questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ). The estimation of daily caffeine intake was estimated based on portion sizes, frequency of consumption, and caffeine content using USDA databases, product labels, and manufacturer data.
RESULTS:
A total of 38.2% of participants reported experiencing mild psychological distress, while 86.3% expressed average memory satisfaction. Frequently consumed items included chocolate (54.9%), Arabic coffee (40.2%), and red tea (35.8%). DASS scores showed positive correlations with dark chocolate, American/instant coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and red tea. Memory ability was negatively associated with American coffee, Arabic coffee, and soft drinks. Strategy use was positively correlated with chocolate and green tea consumption.
CONCLUSION:
Consumption of products -containing caffeine, especially chocolate as well as different of coffee and tea, was significantly associated with psychological distress and memory-related outcomes. These results underscore the importance of promoting mindful consumption and increasing awareness of product specific effects among university students.