TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of a School Drinking Water Promotion and Access Program for Overweight Prevention
AU - Patel, Anisha I.
AU - Schmidt, Laura A.
AU - McCulloch, Charles E.
AU - Blacker, Lauren S.
AU - Cabana, Michael D.
AU - Brindis, Claire D.
AU - Ritchie, Lorrene D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Drinking water promotion and access shows promise for preventing weight gain. This study evaluated the impact of Water First, a school-based water promotion and access intervention on changes in overweight. METHODS: Low-income, ethnically diverse elementary schools in California’s Bay Area were cluster-randomized to intervention and control groups. Water First includes classroom lessons, water stations, and schoolwide water promotion over 1 school year. The primary outcome was overweight prevalence (BMI-for-age-and-sex $85th percentile). Students (n 5 1249) in 56 fourth-grade classes in 18 schools (9 intervention, 9 control) from 2016 to 2019 participated in evaluation at baseline, 7, and 15 months. Data collection was interrupted in 8 additional recruited schools because of coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: Of 1262 students from 18 schools, 1249 (47.4% girls; mean [SD] age, 9.6 [0.4] years; 63.4% Hispanic) were recruited. From baseline to 7 months, there was no significant difference in changes in overweight prevalence in intervention schools (–0.2%) compared to control schools (–0.4%) (adjusted ratio of odds ratios [ORs]: 0.7 [confidence interval (CI): 0.2–2.9] P 5 0.68). From baseline to 15-months, increases in overweight prevalence were significantly greater in control schools (3.7%) compared to intervention schools (0.5%). At 15 months, intervention students had a significantly lower change in overweight prevalence (adjusted ratio of ORs: 0.1 [CI: 0.03–0.7] P 5 .017) compared to control students. There were no intervention effects for obesity prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Water First prevented increases in the prevalence of overweight, but not obesity, in elementary school students.
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Drinking water promotion and access shows promise for preventing weight gain. This study evaluated the impact of Water First, a school-based water promotion and access intervention on changes in overweight. METHODS: Low-income, ethnically diverse elementary schools in California’s Bay Area were cluster-randomized to intervention and control groups. Water First includes classroom lessons, water stations, and schoolwide water promotion over 1 school year. The primary outcome was overweight prevalence (BMI-for-age-and-sex $85th percentile). Students (n 5 1249) in 56 fourth-grade classes in 18 schools (9 intervention, 9 control) from 2016 to 2019 participated in evaluation at baseline, 7, and 15 months. Data collection was interrupted in 8 additional recruited schools because of coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: Of 1262 students from 18 schools, 1249 (47.4% girls; mean [SD] age, 9.6 [0.4] years; 63.4% Hispanic) were recruited. From baseline to 7 months, there was no significant difference in changes in overweight prevalence in intervention schools (–0.2%) compared to control schools (–0.4%) (adjusted ratio of odds ratios [ORs]: 0.7 [confidence interval (CI): 0.2–2.9] P 5 0.68). From baseline to 15-months, increases in overweight prevalence were significantly greater in control schools (3.7%) compared to intervention schools (0.5%). At 15 months, intervention students had a significantly lower change in overweight prevalence (adjusted ratio of ORs: 0.1 [CI: 0.03–0.7] P 5 .017) compared to control students. There were no intervention effects for obesity prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Water First prevented increases in the prevalence of overweight, but not obesity, in elementary school students.
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U2 - 10.1542/peds.2022-060021
DO - 10.1542/peds.2022-060021
M3 - Article
C2 - 37545466
AN - SCOPUS:85169502130
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 152
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 3
M1 - e2022060021
ER -