Water and Beverage Consumption among a Nationally Representative Sample of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

There are limited studies examining water consumption among individuals in hot climates. We assessed the daily total water intake from plain water, other beverages, and food in a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents aged 6–18 years in the United Arab Emirates. Total water intake was compared against the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and the European Food Safety Authority. Sociodemographic information, 24 h dietary recall, physical activity levels, and anthropometric data were collected from 527 participants. The mean ± SE of total water intake was 1778.4 ± 33.8 mL/day. Plain drinking water was the largest contributor to total water intake (51.6%), followed by food (27.3%). Sugar-sweetened beverages constituted 13.9% of water intake. The proportion of participants who met the Institute of Medicine recommendations ranged from 15% (males aged 14–18) to 25% (children aged 6–8). The proportion of participants who met the European Food Safety Authority recommendations ranged from 31% (females aged 14–18) to 36% (males aged 14–18). The water-to-energy ratio was 1.0–1.15 L/1000 kcal, meeting recommendations. The majority of participants failed to meet water intake recommendations, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to promote increased water consumption among children and adolescents.

Quantitative changes in the microstructure of the pancreas under the influence of sublethal dehydration, subsequent readaptation and correction

“…Water is one of the main components of the human body, which is vital for the performance of physiological processes, thermoregulation, and transport of nutrients [1,6,7,8]. Water consumption is influenced by numerous factors, including temperature, humidity, as well as the level of physical activity and lifestyle [15,18,21,27].…”

“…Water is necessary for the development of life and survival [1,8,10,13,24], this is its participation in metabolism, facilitation of cellular metabolism [3,22], modulation of normal osmotic pressure, maintenance of electrolyte balance, regulation of body temperature and many others physiological processes [9,19,23]. It has been proven that both excessive and insufficient water consumption has a negative effect on the health of our body [2,11,14,26,28].…”

Using Microlending to Achieve SDG 2: A Qualitative Exploration of the Nutrition-Related Impacts of Microlending Participation in Manila, Philippines

“…Though the data collected in this study are largely qualitative, the 24-h dietary recall data provided us with a detailed understanding of the type, quantity, and frequency of the foods that individuals were consuming. We Fitness Software, a validated product designed by ESHA Research [34] that has been used in many cross-cultural diet-related research studies [35][36][37]. This nutrient analysis software utilizes multiple verified nutrient databases to allow users to input the type and quantity of food/beverage that participants' consumed and to be able to subsequently view the amount of both macro-and micro-nutrients ingested.…”

A Comparative Assessment of Drinking Water Preferences among University Students in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our findings indicate that the majority of students preferred plastic bottled water (68.02%). A study conducted in the UAE found approximately 80% of the plain drinking water supply for persons aged up to 18 years was through bottled water [36]. Another study conducted in the West Bank found 92% of students drank bottled water on campus [37].…”