NCT06132763

Healthy Hydration Pilot in Elementary Schools

Addressing Root Causes of Under-hydration in School: A Stakeholder Collaborative Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 563 (actual)
• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 4 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will pilot a school-based stakeholder-informed hydration intervention and examine its feasibility and preliminary efficacy.

Detailed description

Adequate water intake plays an important role in maintaining children's overall health, cognitive performance, fine motor skills and visual attention. It also plays a role in the maintenance of healthy weight. Many children do not consume sufficient water, especially in school. There is also potential that by providing enhanced access to water, there will be corresponding decreases in sugary beverage intake. Sugary beverages have been implicated as major contributors of excessive sugar and calorie intake in children, leading to multiple health concerns, such as type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and dental caries. Schools are an optimal environment to increase children's water intake. Healthy hydration is a priority for Richmond Public School (RPS), as they recently adopted a new hydration policy into their school wellness policy, with hydration stations installed in all RPS schools. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of a school-based hydration intervention. This study will pilot a school-based stakeholder-informed hydration intervention and examine its feasibility and preliminary efficacy.

Conditions

• Hydration
• Dental Caries
• Body Mass Index

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Hydration Intervention	Teacher \& student ambassadors: serve as hydration role models, identify "Hydration Heroes", monitor filter lights on hydration stations, \& update the water meter visual. Kick-off event: event to kick off the hydration intervention to include water bottles distribution with a station to personalize, experiential activities, and information about the intervention. Social marketing: student-developed marketing campaign "Make water your superpower" will be placed in high-traffic areas of the school. Hydration Headquarters will be located in the lunchroom displaying a water meter illustrating bottle refills from the school's hydration stations. Behavioral reinforcement: on random days, students drinking water and/or with a water bottle will receive small incentives. Education and outreach: Hydration Tip Sheets, hydration signage in classrooms, and hydration trivia on hydration stations. Teachers will deliver 1 hydration lesson per month that align with Standards of Learning.
OTHER	Control - Assessments Only	Assessments only

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-11-09
• Primary completion: 2024-04-22
• Completion: 2024-05-01
• First posted: 2023-11-15
• Last updated: 2025-10-31
• Results posted: 2025-09-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States