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A new coffee culture amongst Costa Rican university students

Juan Aguirre (Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 4 December 2017

3007

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify what type of changes, if any, have taken place, in the factors influencing coffee consumption among Costa Rican university students.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consisted of quantitative and qualitative phases. The quantitative data were collected through a written questionnaire distributed to a random sample of 370 students at a private university. The data were analyzed using Cronbach’s α, principal component/exploratory factor analysis and standardized ordinal logistic regression. Qualitative in-depth interviews with ten students were undertaken to verify the quantitative results.

Findings

Of the sample, 70 percent were females and 30 percent males. Of those interviewed, 70 percent drank coffee and 30 percent did not. In 64 percent of those who did not drink coffee, juice was the main substitute. The predictors of the coffee culture are: the country tradition, parents, general socialization with friends, home, workplace and restaurants. Tradition, parents and home were found to be the predictors of coffee culture for women; for men the predictors were the workplace and restaurants.

Originality/value

Coffee culture amongst university students is experiencing a transition, and the changes identified seem to be affected by the gender of the student and the change in the economic base of the country. The information will be valuable in marketing coffee to young people.

Keywords

Citation

Aguirre, J. (2017), "A new coffee culture amongst Costa Rican university students", British Food Journal, Vol. 119 No. 12, pp. 2918-2931. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2016-0614

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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