What are the effects of coffee consumption on breakfast intake in
adults ages 30-45?
A Qualitative Study
By:Kerri Dellatacoma
Background Breakfast is considered to be the most
important meal of the day– Eating a healthy breakfast every day can lead to
weight loss, increased exercise and lower overall fat intake (Davis, 2010)
In 2009, 54% of the U.S. adult population drank coffee daily (National Coffee Assoc.)
Average person drinks 3.1 cups per day (National Coffee Assoc.)
65% of all coffee drinking occurs during breakfast hours (Adley, 2010)
Hypothesis
Morning coffee drinking suppresses the appetite and stops people from eating breakfast.
Population and Sample Coffee drinkers 30-45 years old Total of 16 volunteers
– 8 Men– 8 Women
Obtained through email, word of mouth and posted flyers
Compensated with either a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks
Data Collection and Analysis Interviews:
– Conducted at the Barnes and Noble café in Clifton, NJ, at participants homes and over the phone
– Recorded using iPhone voice memo feature and uploaded to InqScribe for transcription
– Data analyzed using Dedoose (dedoose.com), an open-source software used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis
Interview Questions
Twenty question interview – Demographics– Coffee consumption questions– Breakfast consumption questions– Sample questions:
What time is your first cup of coffee? Describe your morning routine… Do you eat breakfast on a regular basis? How do you feel if you don’t eat breakfast? How do you feel if you have no access to coffee?
Breakfast Consumption Results Out of 16 people…
– Twelve ate breakfast on a regular basis (4 or more days/week), 4 people ate breakfast occasionally to never (0-2 times/week)
– Only 1 person prepared their breakfast the night before to save time
– About half of people interviewed ate breakfast because of a weight loss program or dietary reason
Coffee Consumption Results
Ten would choose coffee over breakfast
Six of those 10 were people who ate breakfast on a regular basis
Seven people set up their coffee makers the night before to save time
Women expressed more guilt than men about their coffee intake
Coffee TalkWhen asked, “How do you feel if you don't
have access to coffee?”:“That will never happen.”
“Sometimes lunch is just more coffee.”
“The first cup of coffee IS my breakfast.”
“I think I could go without it now. I don't WANT to - I sound like an addict - I could, but I don't want to. It sounds like something a drug addict or an alcoholic might say, but I could if I wanted to, I just don't want to.”
Conclusions
Morning coffee consumption did not significantly inhibit breakfast consumption
Women expressed more guilt than men when discussing their coffee and breakfast consumption
People put more effort into making sure their coffee available in the morning than their breakfast
Limitations
Small sample size Not a randomized study
Future Research
Could help further research on behavior change of the coffee drinker
Could help further research of the differences between teaching approaches to men and women
ReferencesAdley, C. (May 11, 2010). Facts and Statistics about Coffee Consumption in the
United States. The Coffee Marvel. Retrieved from: http://www.coffeemarvel.com/blog/post/2010/05/11/Facts-and-Statistics-about-Coffee-Consumption-in-the-United-States.aspx
Davis, J.L. (2010). Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast. WebMd: Healthy Eating and Diet. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-eat-breakfast