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