Few U.S. studies have investigated school drinking water access and policies and practices related to school drinking water. This project will investigate drinking water availability, policies and practices, and barriers to implementing programs and policies to improve drinking water access and intake in California public schools. If pending California state legislation to improve drinking water access in school cafeterias passes, these study results can be used to examine the impact of this legislation in a subsequent study, provide valuable information for schools mandated to implement drinking water programs under law and inform future policy efforts. The specific aims of the study are to: 1) develop a valid tool to assess drinking water availability, water-related policies and practices, and barriers to school water program and policy implementation; 2) collect survey data to describe these factors and how they vary by school characteristics; and 3) disseminate these findings to policy-makers, school administrators and public health officials.
Start Date: November 2010
ID #: 68241
Principal Investigator: Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH
Co-Principal Investigator: Kenneth Hecht, LLB
Organization: University of California, San Francisco
Funding Round: Round 5
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Beverage contracts, Competitive foods, Legal, School wellness policies, Vending machines, Water
Focus Areas: Beverages, School & After School
State: California
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
Related Research
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Tapping Into Water: Key Considerations for Achieving Excellence in School Drinking Water Access
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Observations of Drinking Water Access in School Food Service Areas Before Implementation of Federal and State School Water Policy, California, 2011
This article discusses the results of a study that examined the provision of water and student water consumption in food service areas (FSA) in a random sample of San Francisco, California Bay Area schools. Barriers to and strategies for implementing federal and state drinking water requirements were also examined. Researchers found that 14 of 24 MoreSeptember 2024