Effect of Hydration Status of School Children on Cognitive Performance and Impact of Health Education on Their Drinking Behavior

Abstract

Background Dehydration among school children is highly prevalent. It has various negative health consequences in children, and it impairs cognitive performance. The figures of hydration status among Egyptian school children are scarce. Objectives: 1) Assess the prevalence of dehydration among school children. 2) Identify the effect of students' hydration status on cognitive function. 3) Determine the impact of health education on the students' drinking behavior, hydration status and cognitive abilities. Method: Pretest-posttest intervention study included (n=180) students. Urine osmolality was tested to the students. Seven cognitive function tests were conducted measuring (visual attention, visual memory, short term memory, mathematical cognition and visuomotor skills). Providing drinking water education to the students then reassessment of urine osmolality and reapplying cognitive function tests. Results: Sixty eight percent of the students were dehydrated and was significantly decreased after health education to reach 47.8%. The hydrated students performed significantly better than dehydrated in cognitive function tests except for reverse number recall and mathematical cognition where the improvement was shown to be significant. Urine osmolality was significantly negatively correlated with mean scores of cognitive function tests of (visual attention, forward number recall and line tracing). There was significant improvement in the cognitive function test after health education for letter cancelation, visual memory, forward number recall and mathematical cognition. Conclusions: Dehydration in highly prevalent among school children and have negative impact on cognitive performance. Health education to the students helped in improving drinking behavior and adopting healthy drinking water practices. Schools are encouraged to implement drinking water polices and rules.