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Abstract

Obesity is a common and current health issue in the world today, as it poses multiple risks to a person’s physical and mental health. The high intake of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) has contributed to the increasing rate of obesity both in Canada and internationally. Factors such as taste, cost, and food environments are among the many considerations that influence beverage choice. In an effort to address this problem, UBC Wellbeing has launched a hydration station pilot project in collaboration with FNH 473 students, which is being implemented as part of the Healthy Beverage Initiative. The Hydration Station Pilot Project aimed to improve the diet quality and lifestyle habits of the UBC community by encouraging tap water consumption over SSBs. Using the Community Organization Theory and Health Belief Model for guidance, this initiative involved the establishment and evaluation of two tap water stations for UBC staff and students to use as an alternative to SSBs. We also developed and distributed two post-intervention surveys as another output and as a means of evaluating the project. We used these online questionnaires to qualitatively and quantitatively assess behavioural changes and level of satisfaction resulting from the hydration stations. It was found that 84% of users increased their water consumption and 50% of users reported a decrease in their SSB intake, indicating that the project had a positive impact on the health of UBC staff and students who used the stations. In addition, the hydration stations were found to be feasible and easy to maintain by caretakers and suggested an interest in expanding the project to implement more stations around campus. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”