Study finds school-based water promotion programs impact children differently based on food insecurity

Jan 29, 2025

A recent study highlights how food insecurity may influence the effectiveness of school-based programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity by promoting water consumption and reduced sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Researchers found the Water First program—which installed drinking water stations and promoted drinking water intake in 18 low-income San Francisco Bay Area elementary schools—prevented overweight and increased water intake among over 1,000 fourth-grade students involved in the study. However, a deeper examination of the data revealed that while obesity rates decreased among food-secure students, among food-insecure students there was an increased water intake without a reduction in obesity. Findings emphasize the need to consider food insecurity in future nutrition interventions and strategies. This study was led by Anisha Patel of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics; other members of the study team included  Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute; Leslie Gerstenfeld and Laura Schmidt of the University of California, San Francisco; Lauren Blacker of the RUSH University Medical College; Charles McCulloch of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; and Valeria Ordonez of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics.


By Brianna Aguayo Villalon
Author - Student Communications Fellow
By Lorrene Ritchie
Editor - Director of Research
By Danielle Lee
Editor - Director of Communications & Research Engagement