Advancing Water Security: A Community Participatory School-Based Hydration Intervention
Virginia Commonwealth University
Summary
The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of a community-participatory hydration intervention over 3 years within a district that has newly installed hydration stations and is operating under a policy designed to enhance heathy hydration practices and promote equitable access to drinking water.
Description
The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a hydration intervention on hydration station usage (primary outcome), Body Mass Index z-scores (zBMI) and dental caries (primary biomedical outcomes), and water bottle usage, beverage selection and intake, and academic outcomes (secondary outcomes).
Eligibility
- Age range
- 4+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Lunchroom observations: All students (K-5th \[Pre-Kindergarten if applicable\]) who eat lunch in the cafeteria on assessment days are eligible * BMI and dental caries assessments: 1) student enrolls in study while in 3rd grade (followed through 5th g) * Student surveys: Students in 4th-5th grade are eligible to complete surveys assessing beverage intake and perceptions of hydration practices within their school district. * Staff surveys: All staff in the target schools will be eligible to complete the Personnel Survey. Exclusion Criteria: * Lunchroom observations: None…
Interventions
- BehavioralHydration
Clusters of schools will sequentially be exposed to the intervention in a stepped-wedge fashion. The intervention is a 4-month community participatory school-based hydration intervention that includes provision of refillable water bottles in schools with hydration stations in addition to: 1) social marketing, 2) behavioral reinforcement, and 3) education and outreach.
Location
- Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU Healthy Lifestyles CenterHenrico, Virginia