Since the medical profession is considered to be a very stressful profession and anxiety is prevalent among medical students, it is important to find its various causes. This will help to control anxiety and generally improve students’ wellbeing and their academic performance. The present study was planned to determine the level of anxiety and consumption of caffeinated beverages in medical students.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 104 first-year medical students. A structured questionnaire was used consisting of three sections comprising background information of study participants, habits of drinking caffeinated drinks among students, and anxiety status, which was appraised by 7 items generalized anxiety disorder inventory (GAD-7). SPSS was used for data analysis.

Results: Study participants included 42 (40.4%) males and 62 (59.6%) females, 58.3% day-scholars and 46.2% were hostelites. 88.5% of students said they consume caffeinated drinks. 59.6% of students consume coffee for pleasure and enjoyment. 45.2% consume it for studying at home while 33.7% to stay alert in class. The anxiety level was minimal, mild, moderate, and severe in 28.8%, 39.4%, 19.2%, and 12.5% of the subjects respectively. There was no association between anxiety, gender, residential status, and caffeinated beverage consumption P >0.05. Anxiety is common in medical students, however, it is not associated with caffeinated drink consumption.

Index Terms- Anxiety, caffeine, caffeinated beverages