Community-Based School Hydration Program to Improve Water Use, Body Weight, and Dental Health in Children

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a community participatory hydration intervention to improve hydration practices in schools over a three-year period. The study focuses on districts that have recently installed hydration stations and are following policies aimed at promoting healthy hydration and equal access to drinking water. The trial examines its potential effects on dental health and obesity prevention among school children. The intervention lasts four months and includes providing refillable water bottles to students in schools equipped with hydration stations. Additional components involve social marketing, behavioral reinforcement, and educational outreach. Schools are randomly assigned in a stepped-wedge design, where clusters progressively receive the intervention. The study compares an assessment-only control group with an experimental group receiving the hydration intervention. Participants include students from kindergarten through fifth grade who eat lunch in the cafeteria, with specific assessments for those enrolled in third grade and followed through fifth grade. The study collects data on hydration station usage, BMI z-scores, dental caries, beverage consumption, academic outcomes, and school staff knowledge. Evaluations occur over the full three years, with surveys administered to students and staff. The trial also monitors water bottle use, beverage sales, and participation in the National School Lunch Program.

Advancing Water Security: A Community Participatory School-Based Hydration Intervention