This study aimed to evaluate the association between asthma and the intake of coffee/green tea/soda. We used Health Examinee data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (2004-2016). The participants (n = 3146 with asthma; n = 158,902 non-asthma) were asked about the frequency and amount of their coffee/green tea/soda intake. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for asthma according to the frequency and amount of coffee/green tea/soda intake. Compared to the group consuming no coffee, the aORs for asthma were 0.82 (95% CI = 0.73-0.93, p = 0.002) in the group consuming coffee 1-2 times/day and 0.87 (95% CI = 0.78-0.97, p = 0.011) in the group consuming coffee in quantities of 1 cup, respectively. However, the frequency and amount of green tea and soda consumption were not significantly associated with asthma after adjusting for coffee consumption (all p > 0.05). These findings were consistent in the female subgroup (1-2 times/day: aOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.66-0.87, p < 0.001, and 1 cup each time: aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.70-0.90, p < 0.001) but not in the male subgroup. Drinking 1 cup of coffee each time and 1-2 times per day may have protective effects against asthma in a Korean population. However, the associations between asthma and green tea/soda cannot be clearly established.
Keywords: asthma; caffeine; coffee; population surveillance; sugar-sweetened beverages; tea.