Start Date: February 2014

ID #: 71640

Principal Investigator: Donna Johnson, RD, PhD

Organization: University of Washington

Funding Round: Round 8

See more related research

Share


Little empirical research has been done to support policies that increase access to free drinking water as part of comprehensive strategies to reduce consumption of sugary beverages and prevent childhood obesity. This study will examine beverage environments in 20 diverse high schools in King County, Wash., to guide the development of effective school water policies by providing evidence on specific aspects of school water access and student water/sugary beverage consumption at school and on the feasibility of implementing school policies to improve water access. Study aims are to: 1) describe the sources and types of water and sugary beverages that are available to high school students while they are on school campuses, including water quality characteristics related to water appearance, temperature, flow, and maintenance of school water access points; 2) develop, test, and implement a protocol to sample and assess student water consumption and sugary beverage consumption at school; 3) determine associations between students’ access and consumption at school and the degree to which these vary by school demographics, including race/ethnicity and income; and 4) explore the perceptions of school administrators about access to water and potential policy and environmental changes that could be made to improve water access.

Related Research

April 2026

Policy Priorities and Research Needs for Advancing Healthy Eating: A 2026-2027 Research Agenda for U.S. Children and Adolescents

Given recent changes to nutrition policies and programs and the food environment landscape, the need for new evidence on how these changes impact nutrition, health, and food access is greater than ever. HER has also published a research agenda intended to provide a blueprint for immediate (i.e., 12-18 month) research needs to inform strategies to More

December 2025

From Policy to Plate: Implications of 2025 U.S. Federal Policy Changes on School Meals

School meals are a cornerstone of the United States’ nutrition safety net for children from low-income families, providing nearly 30 million lunches daily. However, recent U.S. policy actions may limit access to school meals for children who need them most. This commentary, published in the Nutrients Special Issue The Influence of School Meals on Children More

December 2025

Ultra-Processed Foods in School Meals: Challenges and Opportunities

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are ubiquitous in the U.S. food supply, while growing evidence shows that UPFs harm children’s health. Schools offer a promising setting to introduce UPF regulation and reduce the availability of UPFs. This brief explores the issue of UPFs in school meals and identifies opportunities and challenges to replace UPFs with more fresh More