Prevalence of Tea Consumption among University Students of South-Eastern Region of Bangladesh and Associated Factors

Abstract

Tea has become an integral part of our culture and everyday life due to taste, together with a refreshing and mildly stimulant effect. The study was carried out to investigate the behaviour pattern and prevalence observed due to regular consumption of tea as a source of caffeine among the university students using a self-reported validated questionnaire. Socio-demographic and data related to tea consumption pattern were collected and analysed statistically. Among 245 study participants, the majority chose a greater proportion of tea (83.7%) followed by coffee (14.7%). The main reasons for tea consumption by university students included keeping alert during the examination period (38.8%), followed by the removal of anxiety and stress. Students (around 61%) mostly consume 2-3 cup of tea per day. According to the study, 12.7% of students had never consumed tea. More than two-thirds (66.9%) of the students reported having a sound sleep, normal BMI and blood pressure, a majority of them were engaged with regular physical exercise. The study also illustrated that most of the students (52.7%) give priority to the quality of the product rather than price, brand and taste while buying packaged tea leaves. Thus, this study provides basics about the prevalence and presents a recommendation for expanding tea consumption market among the university students.