Milk Consumption Initially Lower After Schools Install 'Water Jets'
New research from the American Journal of Public Health found that installing water jets, or drinking water dispensers, into New York City schools showed a three-fold increase in student water consumption.
Researchers observed nine New York City public elementary, middle or high schools scheduled to receive water jets in 2010 alongside 10 New York City schools of comparable grade levels that did not receive water jets. The schools were evaluated and selected to ensure similar school characteristics between schools receiving the water jets and those that did not. The study captured data about water consumption through cafeteria observations, student surveys and interviews with cafeteria managers. Data was collected prior to the water jet intervention, 3.5 months following installation and 10 months following the intervention.
Results indicated that compared to student baseline water intake and that of comparison schools, students at schools with the water jets nearly tripled their water intake at lunchtime. The results continued into the second school-year of implementation. Eighty percent of students in schools with water jets noticed them when installed into the cafeteria, 65 percent of those who noticed used them and half of those who noticed them indicated that they consumed more water. While implementation of the water jets did appear to decrease milk consumption slightly during initiation, the effect appeared to subside after one year.
"One potential difficulty in considering expansion is the electrical infrastructure required for water jets. In a school system as old as New York City's, that could be a challenge. However, New York City has made it a goal to put water jets in more than 1,000 public schools, and as of mid-2014 more than 800 schools have had the machines installed," the study's authors explain.
The articles was published online by the American Journal of Public Health under "First Look." "First Look" articles have undergone peer review, copyediting and approval by authors but have not yet been printed to paper or posted online by issue. The American Journal of Public Health is published by the American Public Health Association, www.apha.org, and is available at www.ajph.org.
The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association. APHA champions the health of all people and all communities by strengthening the profession of public health, sharing the latest research and information, promoting best practices and advocating for public health issues and policies grounded in research.