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 #: 86828
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
January 2023
Policy, system, and environmental interventions addressing obesity and diet-related outcomes in early childhood education settings: A systematic review
Early childhood education (ECE) settings play an important role in child dietary intake and excess weight gain. Policy, systems, and environment (PSE) approaches have potential to reduce disparities in children at higher risk for obesity. The purpose of this review was to (1) characterize the inclusion of populations at higher risk for obesity in ECE MoreDecember 2022
Water is K’é: A Community-Based Intervention to Increase Healthy Beverage Consumption by Navajo Preschool Children
This research brief gives an overview of the Water is K’é intervention, conducted among Navajo Nation families. The intervention was delivered by early care and education teachers to households with children ages 2-5, and covered the cultural importance of water, health benefits of water, and alternatives to sugary drinks. At baseline, more than 70% of children already MoreDecember 2022