Specification Summary - Statistics Project Example

Survey on the coffee consumption in the USA Introduction Coffee consumption in the USA is on the rise due to the hectic lifestyles of people and the high demand for efficiency and multitasking (National Coffee Association 2013 survey). This study will focus on consumption of coffee, the gender differences in coffee consumption and also the varying statistics spread across all ages. This study will indicate that coffee has become the most popularcaffeinated product in the USA (Food Manufacturing, 2013).

How the random sample was conductedAn online survey was carried out in various mediums such as Facebook, Twitter and email. This was done through the formation of groups in Facebook and twitter aimed at knowing exactly how many coffee lovers, there are, as well as knowing the extent of the dependence of coffee among consumers (Food Manufacturing, 2013).The survey was conducted among 221 respondents using random sampling techniques. The information presented consists of a combination of secondary data from online sources as well as data collected from the survey.

The data were compiled over a span of one month (Food Manufacturing, 2013).Over 60% of people invited to the Facebook group accepted the request, so overall; the response rate was 60%. The respondents were asked a series of questions that helped in the formulation of an accurate conclusion. The questions included:1) How old are you and do you take coffee?2) What type of coffee do you like?3) What is your gender?4) How many cups of coffee do you take dailyThe first question sought to establish the number of the respondents who were coffee consumers.

Also, the respondents were required to indicate their age and gender. The respondents were to either respond by saying they liked coffee or did not like coffee. Below is a summary table of the results (Food Manufacturing, 2013).AGELIKES COFFEEDOES NOT LIKE COFFEE18-211093722-393311ABOVE 40238 The graph below displays the differences in preference between the ages, with the age ranges being generalised to specific ages to represent the three age ranges. The vertical axis represents the number of respondents.

The table clearly shows that 165 of the respondents are consumers of coffee, which constitutes about 74.93% of all the respondents. 66% were young people between the age of 18 and 22 years, 20% were between the age of 22 and 39 years and only 14% were above the age of 40 years. The results go in line with the statistics from the National Coffee Association 2013 survey that reveals over 83% of adults drink coffee in the USA (Food Manufacturing, 2013).The second question sought to investigate the preferences of the different ages ranging from youths to adults.

The majority of the younger respondents preferred espresso-based beverages whereas the older respondents preferred the tradition gourmet coffee. The reasons for these preferences varied; however, the younger respondents indicated that the hectic lifestyle demanded instant, yet strong sources of caffeine such as espresso coffee (Olsen, 2013).The third question sought to investigate how gender affects coffee consumption. Of the 221 respondents, over 60% were men while 40% were women. The coffee consumption rate was higher in men at 67.

2 while in females it was 32.8%. Below is the summary tableGENDERLIKES COFFEEDOES NOT LIKE COFFEEMALE11022FEMALE5533TOTAL16556The graph above clearly shows that men consume more coffee than women; also, more females do not like coffee than men. Majority of the respondents take at least two cups of coffee daily, which is in line with the national average coffee intake of 2.3 cups daily (Olsen, 2013).According to Olsen (2013), undeniably, coffee is the most popular caffeinated drink in the USA due to its rich taste and the effects it has.

Most respondents were aware of the effects of caffeine, but valued taste more than the health risks of caffeine. High consumption of caffeine doses has been identified to cause addiction. It is characterized by restlessness, sleep disorders, and anxiety. However, the current researches reveal that heavy caffeine ingestion may lead to depression. In addition, caffeine can cause panic and anxiety in patients experiencing panic disorder hence aggravating premenstrual syndrome. Caffeine citrate is reported to cause gastrointestinal side effects which include necrotizing enterocolitis in infants.

In other studies, caffeine also causes fibrocystic breast disease that mostly attacks women who engage in daily consumption of coffee. However, there have been some nervous system side effects related to caffeine consumption. They include irritability, jitteriness, and restlessness of the central nervous system.ConclusionThe rate of coffee consumption is increasing at a slower rate due to the introduction of other caffeinated products such as gum, energy drinks which reduce the demand for coffee.

Also, the coffee is quite expensive in comparison to other products such as soda; as a result, coffee consumption is higher among the older population above the age 40 years. Studies show that coffee consumptions have decreased from 50% to 41% among people aged 18-24 years, whereas consumption has increased from 65% to 69% among adults above 40 years old.ReferencesFood Manufacturing, 2013, Consumer Trends: 83 Percent of Americans Drink Coffee, [Online], Available at: http://www.foodmanufacturing.

com/news/2013/04/consumer-trends-83-percent-americans-drink-coffee (Accessed: 9 December 2014)Olsen, N.,2013, Caffeine Consumption Habits and Perceptions among University of New Hampshire Students, University of New Hampshire.