Purpose While caffeine consumption has been shown to be associated with blood pressure (BP) elevation in controlled experiments, the relationship between caffeine consumption and higher BP levels in preadolescent (ages 6 to 11 years) and adolescent (ages 12 to 19 years) children consuming a regular diet has not been defined. The primary objective of this study was to assess the dose-response relationship between dietary caffeine intake and BP in 8- to 10-year-old African American girls consuming a regular diet.

Methods Demographic, three 24-hour dietary recalls, and BP data from 303 8- to 10-year-old African American girls in the Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS) cohort were analyzed using linear and multiple regression models.

Results Dietary intake of caffeine was not associated with either systolic (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p = .33 and .36, respectively). However, consistent with the literature, height and body mass index were positively associated with SBP (p < .0001 and p < .0001, respectively). Height and amount of sodium intake were positively associated with DBP (p = .01 and p = .02, respectively).

Conclusions Dietary intake of caffeine is not associated with elevated BP in 8- to 10-year-old African American girls consuming a regular diet.