Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
Center of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
Libyan J Med. 2021 Dec;16(1):1918903. doi: 10.1080/19932820.2021.1918903.
Dehydration is linked to worse cognitive functions and preference for beverages that are linked to obesity and other health conditions. Saudi Arabia's hot climate can exacerbate these effects and it is important to ensure that children in the region understand the benefits of adequate water intake. To evaluate secondary school student perceptions and practices regarding water intake, investigate how water intake is related to BMI and school performance, and compare international schools to national schools. This cross-sectional study surveyed understanding and practices relating to water intake of national and international secondary school students using a questionnaire based on a random selection of schools and students. One-hundred and sixty-two students from international schools (I) and 157 from national schools (N) responded. Most were aged 16 and 17 years old (I:61.1%, N:76.5%, p = .005). The average BMI of all students was 24.9 ± 6.013 (I:23.6 ± 4.658, N:26.1 ± 6.931, p < 0.001). Students understood beverages do not replace water intake (I:80.2%, N:75.8%, p = .337) and preferred water when thirsty (I:77.8%, N:75.2%, p = .549). However, water consumption was low with more than 50% of students drinking less than 1500 ml a day (I:54.3%, N:70.7%, p = .002). A positive correlation between BMI and water intake was observed only among international school students. Students have inadequate water intake despite understanding the importance of hydration. There are some differences between international school students and national school students that can be attributed to the availability and sources of water, though other factors cannot be excluded.
脱水与认知功能下降有关，并且偏爱与肥胖和其他健康状况有关的饮料。沙特阿拉伯炎热的气候会加剧这些影响，因此重要的是要确保该地区的儿童了解充足水分摄入的好处。为了评估中学生对水分摄入的看法和实践，研究水分摄入与 BMI 和学业成绩的关系，并比较国际学校和国立学校。这项横断面研究通过基于随机选择学校和学生的问卷，调查了国立和国际中学学生对水分摄入的理解和实践。来自国际学校（I）的 162 名学生和来自国立学校（N）的 157 名学生做出了回应。大多数学生年龄在 16 岁和 17 岁（I：61.1%，N：76.5%，p = 0.005）。所有学生的平均 BMI 为 24.9 ± 6.013（I：23.6 ± 4.658，N：26.1 ± 6.931，p < 0.001）。学生们明白饮料不能替代水分摄入（I：80.2%，N：75.8%，p = 0.337），并且口渴时更喜欢喝水（I：77.8%，N：75.2%，p = 0.549）。但是，水的消耗量很低，超过 50％的学生每天饮用少于 1500 毫升（I：54.3%，N：70.7%，p = 0.002）。仅在国际学校的学生中观察到 BMI 与水分摄入之间存在正相关关系。尽管学生了解水合作用的重要性，但他们的水分摄入仍然不足。国际学校学生和国立学校学生之间存在一些差异，这可能归因于水的供应和来源，尽管不能排除其他因素。
