Tea, coffee and associated lifestyle factors

The aim of this paper is to determine lifestyle factors associated with different drink choices as past research has suggested some differences. Caffeinated tea and coffee consuming habits in a South Wales sample were investigated by postal questionnaire. Multiple regression was used to determine odds ratios for demographic, health and lifestyle factors associated with drink patterns. There were 7,979 questionnaire respondents, 58 per cent of whom were female. Their mean age was 45.61 years (SD =18.00, range =1697). Caffeinated tea/coffee consumption was associated with both alcohol and smoking behaviours. The results also suggested that nonconsumers of caffeinated tea or coffee were not a homogeneous group, as different demographic and lifestyle profiles were identified for: those that did not drink tea or coffee at all; and those that drank only decaffeinated tea or coffee. Future caffeine research may need to consider whether a broad distinction based on caffeine consumption or nonconsumption alone is always appropriate. The findings suggest some differences within the caffeinated drink consuming population, including demographic profiles relating to whether consumers drank tea or coffee. They add to the data already available in comparing not only caffeine versus no caffeine, but also characteristics associated with different caffeinated drinks.