Obesity Prevention and Control: Increasing Water Access Combined with Physical Activity Interventions in Schools

Related Pages

Findings and Recommendations

The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of school-based interventions to increase water access combined with physical activity interventions. Evidence is considered insufficient because there were too few studies.

The CPSTF recommends the following related interventions in school settings:

Healthy Eating Interventions Combined with Physical Activity Interventions

Healthy Eating Interventions Alone

Physical Activity Interventions

The CPSTF finds insufficient evidence for two other intervention approaches that focus on healthy eating in schools alone and two other intervention approaches that focus on healthy eating combined with physical activity in schools. Read a summary of the findings from reviews of school-based interventions

The full CPSTF Finding and Rationale Statement and supporting documents for Obesity Prevention and Control: Increasing Water Access Combined with Physical Activity Interventions in Schools are available in The Community Guide Collection on CDC Stacks.

Intervention

These interventions combine water access and physical activity components to improve student health.

Water access interventions ensure students have access to safe, free drinking water during the school day and include one or more of:

  • Procedures to ensure water fountains are clean and maintained
  • Availability of water fountains and hydration stations throughout the school
  • Policies that allow students to have water bottles in class

Physical activity interventions engage students in physical activity each day and include one or more of:

  • Physical education classes that engage students in physical activity
  • School policies or practices that provide opportunities for physical activity during the school day (e.g., recess, classroom breaks)
  • Large-scale environmental changes that provide or improve space, facilities, or equipment (e.g., renovating playgrounds)

Interventions may also include:

  • Healthy food and beverage marketing to promote water consumption and decrease sugar-sweetened beverage consumption
  • Educational programs addressing nutrition or building skills for physically active lifestyles
  • Small-scale equipment to promote physical activity (e.g., jump ropes, balls, pedometers)
  • Staff involvement
  • Family and community engagement

About The Systematic Review

The CPSTF finding is based on evidence from a systematic review of one study (search period 1990–July 2017).

Study Characteristics

The included study was conducted in The Netherlands with students in grades 2 through 7.

Summary of Results

The single study reported a decrease in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and an increase in the prevalence of overweight or obese.

Summary of Economic Evidence

An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the CPSTF did not have enough information to determine if the intervention works.

Applicability

Applicability of this intervention across different settings and populations was not assessed because the CPSTF did not have enough information to determine if the intervention works.

Evidence Gaps

  • Are these interventions effective?
  • Do school-based interventions that increase water consumption also decrease sugar-sweetened beverage consumption?

Implementation Considerations and Resources

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers guidance documents to assist with program implementation.