Diet-related disparities among indigenous youth are driven, in part, by excess sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and limited access to drinking water. Water is K’é targets environmental change at early childhood education (ECE) sites and community-wide systems change to promote a Diné culture of health. ECE sites will select and implement site-based and community-level changes to address three aspects of water security: safety, access, and promotion. The aims of this project are to: 1) Implement Water is K’é and measure its impact on water and SSB consumption among children ages 2 to 5; 2) Measure the impact of Water is K’é on caregivers’ attitudes and behaviors; and 3) Establish a community Advisory Group to improve the intervention and develop PSE recommendations in collaboration with regional stakeholders. Six ECE sites in Northern Navajo Nation will implement Water is K’é with a target population of approximately 120 children and their caregivers. Among children, we will measure water and SSB consumption and body mass index. Among caregivers, we will measure perception of water safety, attitudes toward Diné water traditions, and how often they offer water to children.
Start Date: February 2020
ID #: 77234
Principal Investigator: Sonya Shin, MD, MPH
Organization: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
Funding Round: HER Round 12
Race/Ethnicity: American Indian
Focus Areas: Beverages, Early Childhood
Keywords: Child Care/Preschool, Community setting, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Water
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Age Group: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Related Research
September 2024
Water Is K’é: Learning from the Navajo Community to Promote Early Child Health
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks is key to reducing health disparities. Since beverage habits are shaped by complex personal, community, and environmental factors, community input is critical to design any intervention promoting water. The research team worked with community partners to design a program to promote healthy beverage habits among young Navajo children. The MoreAugust 2023
Teacher and Caregiver Perspectives on Water Is K’é: An Early Child Education Program to Promote Healthy Beverages among Navajo Children
The Water is K’é program was developed to increase water consumption and decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for young children and caregivers. The pilot program was successfully delivered by three Family and Child Education (FACE) programs on the Navajo Nation using a culturally centered curriculum between 2020 to 2022. The purpose of this research was MoreAugust 2023
Teacher and Caregiver Perspectives on Water Is K’é: An Early Child Education Program to Promote Healthy Beverages among Navajo Children
The Water is K’é program was developed to increase water consumption and decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for young children and caregivers. The pilot program was successfully delivered by three Family and Child Education (FACE) programs on the Navajo Nation using a culturally centered curriculum between 2020 to 2022. The purpose of this research was MoreDecember 2022