Running head: DEHYDRATION: CONTESTING IT IN SCHOOLS

Dehydration:
Contesting it in Schools
Signature Assignment
Allie Cline
Arizona State University
PPE 310
Professor Miller Ed. D.

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Dehydration: Contesting it in Schools

Water is the most essential element to life, and today, people are not getting enough of it.
In the world, there is limited access to clean running water, causing poverty and death. While
conservation of water is important to life, proper hydration of the body is even more imperative.
People are not consuming enough water to achieve optimal health. Dehydration can have serious
negative consequences on the body, including headaches, sleepiness, decreased cognitive
function, kidney and bladder malfunction, poor skin condition, and in severe cases death. The
root of many problems begins with the lack this natural resource, and therefore it is important
that there is appropriate education on the effects of dehydration, how to prevent dehydration, and
how having limited resources affects hydration.
While the answer to prevent dehydration seems simple, just drink water, many do not
understand how much water their bodies need to consume. More importantly, many nations in
the world do not have access to potable water, and therefore they are not able to consume
enough. Hydration is extremely important in regions where the climate is very warm all year
round, and this paper targets Trevor Browne High School located in Phoenix, Arizona, but it can
be implemented, and adapted, for any region, and any school. This paper aims to provide
information on dehydration, backed by research, and to offer a plan to educate students and
communities about the effects of dehydration, as well as bring attention to a greater problem.
Having the knowledge of dehydration, students will be more likely to make better choices on
hydration, perform better as athletes, and will develop improved mood and cognitive skills such
as memory. In addition, students will help positively impact the hydration of people around the
world.

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Literature Review

There has been limited new research conducted in the study of dehydration and its effects
on the body, but recent studies aim to determine cognitive effects of dehydration, instead of
physical effects. In 2007, Bob Murray published an article, Hydration and Physical
Performance, to explain how dehydrated a person can before their physical performance
decreases. In this study, eleven subjects were required to run on a treadmill in a controlled
temperature environment of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They were required to run for varying
distances where their performance was determined by the total time of their high intensity runs.
They were also required to drink 500 mL of water 90 minutes before their workouts. Sweat loss,
heart rate, and temperature were measured during their trials to determine performance while
hydrated and dehydrated. It was found that performance is better when a person is well hydrated,
and that even the slightest amount of dehydration will negatively affect a persons physical
performance. It was suggested that there should be similar studies conducted in different
environments outside of a controlled area to determine when hydration breaks down, and how
much a person will need to drink to maintain peak hydration levels.
Inadequate hydration does not affect only athletes. In a four-year study, Kenney et al.
evaluated the hydration of children and adolescents of the United States in order to determine if
this was an issue. The methods used were data collections on 4,134 children aged 6 to 19 years
old who were required to provide urine samples, diet, demographics, and body composition. A
basis of 800 milliosmoles from prior studies was determined as the point of dehydration. It was
determined that 54.5% of subjects were dehydrated, having a number greater than 800
milliosmoles in their urine samples. They also concluded that inadequate hydration is

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understudied for children. They determined more research is needed to include diets that improve
hydration.
Another study with children has helped determine how hydration affects cognitive
function. In 2006, DAnci, Constant, and Rosenberg suggested that mild dehydration causes
changes in cognitive function, including concentration, alertness, and short-term memory. They
applied their study to 20 10 to 12 year old boys and 31 10-12 year old girls for an examination of
voluntary dehydration. They were divided in groups based on their urine osmolality, just as the
previous study. They determined that there are no early effects on cognition of dehydration
present, but as they day goes on, memory is impaired in the dehydrated children. They also
concluded that there is not enough research on children conducted to make a proper
determination of their early findings.
A more in-depth study was conducted in the UK in 2011. In this study, Kempton et al.
hypothesized that dehydration causes brain tissue to shrink and cognitive function to become
impaired. The methods used were a group of 5 males and 5 females with a mean age of 16.81
were studied in a laboratory for brain changes. The teens were required to undergo thermal
exercises and dehydration followed by MRI scans and ASL blood flow measurements. It was
determined that the teens had a decrease in body mass from the thermal exercise dehydration,
body temperature and heart rate was increased, and reaction time was slowed. Blood volume and
brain volume also decreased, as well as the cells shrinking. Their results also show more brain
effort being placed on concentration due to tiredness caused by dehydration.
Another study from 2013 set to determine if voluntary or chronic dehydration occurs in
male adolescent football players. The study, conducted by Mitchell, Cleary, and Line, observed
29 male football players aged 12-17 years old. All athletes practiced for two and a half hours

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twice a day, for four days in a row. Volume of fluids consumes were recorded and urine volume
and concentration was recorded. Measures were in place for environmental monitoring as well.
The conclusion was that the players voluntarily dehydrate while practicing even when allowed to
drink at any time. It was proven that adolescents do not adapt to the heat as effectively as adults,
and sweat less than adults do. Finally, dehydration results in decreased physical output including
speed. This study also suggests that there is not enough observation in the field of child and
adolescent needs of hydration, and that studies conducted in other sports with teens might offer a
better understanding.
Synthesis of Literature
It has long been known that dehydration has devastating effects on the body that could
result in death. Therefore, the consumption of water is valuable to human life. The vitality of
water consumption has been severely understudied, especially pertaining to children, and it is
only in recent years that researchers have found links between hydration and cognition levels, as
well as physical performance levels in students. Researchers in the aforementioned studies have
all come to an agreeance that there is a negative impact in cognition levels due to dehydration,
but there needs to be more studies conducted to determine the exact effects.
The study by Bob Murray is one that has been conducted and proven many times in order
to show that dehydrating negatively impacts physical performance, but it is important to begin
with this discussion, especially pertaining young athletes. Murray writes, Drinking sufficient
volumes of fluid during physical activity to minimize dehydration is arguably the simplest and
most effective means of sustaining physiological function and improving physical performance
(2007). There has not been enough research to provide alternate methods of hydration, and so it
is important that teens are able to understand why hydrating properly is important, especially if

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they are competitive. All these studies suggest that the youth are choosing not to hydrate
properly. It is unclear from the studies, if the inadequate hydration is from lack of education and
modeling or if it is solely due to choice. It is also unclear if the students have encouragement and
welcoming hydration stations available to them.
There have been studies to propose that students are choosing not to hydrate, although
their bodies need it. Studies also indicate whether adolescents would prefer to hydrate with
something other than water. Mitchell et al. write, Adolescents voluntarily dehydrate even when
allowed to drink freely Although drink composition and flavor have been shown to prevent
voluntary dehydration and decrease the risk of dehydration, it is important to continuously
monitor adolescents body mass and fluid consumption during exercise since core body
temperature can increase (2013), which shows that students are not nearly as aware of the
dangers of dehydration to their bodies that they should be. This study also suggests the alteration
in body mass due to dehydration, which is in correlation to the Kempton et al. (2011) findings
that state, The nding of ventricular enlargement following dehydration, which is proportional
to bodyweight lost is consistent with previous research and extends this nding to adolescents.
Dehydration decreases blood volume (hypovolaemia), which may be detected as reduced brain
volume and associated increase in ventricular volume. The loss of body and mass, and
particularly brain mass, due to dehydration, affects students ability to perform on memory tests.
The memory tests demonstrate the adolescents cognitive abilities while dehydrated. The
findings are similar to those of DAnci et al. That study states, Short-term memory scores were
signicantly higher in hydrated children than in dehydrated children (DAnci et al. 2006). The
study also goes into detail to relate the effects dehydration has on the brain with common
characteristics of confusion, dementia, and lethargy. All of the studies also support Kenny et al.

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findings that state, Inadequate hydration is a prevalent and understudied health problem among
US children and adolescents, particularly boys, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics. Drinking
water can reduce the risk of inadequate hydration (2015). Voluntary dehydration is a severe
problem.
It could be beneficial to offer education and encouragement to students to drink more
water regularly. Because there is much more emphasis on other health related issues, hydration is
commonly overlooked. It makes sense that something as vital as water would affect more than
just our ability to remain alive and therefore, more emphasis should be placed on hydration.
Programs in schools that promote water consumption might help overall boost student
performance in attention, concentration, memory, and physical abilities. More studies regarding
adolescents need to be conducted, but early findings support that there should be more efforts in
schools to assist students with hydration.
Practical Implications
Studies have suggested that children are not adequately hydrated. This is a combination
of not drinking enough water, having high-sodium diets, and consuming diuretics like sodas and
energy drinks. The best way to solve dehydration is by simply drinking water. What happens if
there is no water available, or if students are not well enough educated about proper hydration,
and the dangers associated with dehydration? This is particularly dangerous for students that
attend school in dry, hot temperate areas. This section outlines ways to improve the hydration
habits for not only our students, but also our staff, community, and hopefully impoverished
countries as well.

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Wellness Committee Creation

In order for a change to be a possibility, there needs to be a team in place willing to be the
catalyst for healthy hydration. The committee will be responsible for influencing and educating
health and wellness amongst the students, staff, and parents. The committee will consist of
faculty members, students, and parent volunteers. The committee will meet once a month to
discuss issues on health and wellness affecting the school, plans to implement, and fundraising
opportunities. The committee will rely heavily on volunteers who are passionate about health and
wellness.
One committee member will be responsible for hydration education and implementation.
Two student ambassadors will team up with the committee member for any assistance. These
committee members and student ambassadors will be responsible for creating posters, student
outreach, education on hydration, and helping establish policies regarding hydration. They will
be find and study the most relevant research about dehydration, and they will have public
contacts that can help aid in the education of hydration/dehydration.
Teaching Healthy Hydration
There are many ways that education about dehydration and healthy hydration practices
can be implemented in schools. The wellness committee members, public officials, media, and
teachers can all play a pivotal role in educating the students, staff, and community. The wellness
committee should have one day at the beginning of each semester where a health, wellness, and
safety are discussed, with a small segment on dehydration. The committee members and student
ambassadors may present to the student body, or subject professionals may come as guest
speakers. Fundraising from the committee may be used to purchase sport water bottles for the

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student body to encourage students to drink water along with handouts or fact sheets about
dehydration.
The awareness of the effects of dehydration itself is enough to cause anyone to want to
drink more water. All athletes will also receive a specialized education in a pre-conditioning
meeting to ensure they understand the importance of hydration. Further education will need be
done to review dehydration causes and effects. Student ambassadors will continue throughout the
year to encourage proper hydration and will schedule classroom visits to promote it. Teachers
will also be encouraged to model proper hydration for the students throughout the day, and
encourage the students to drink water frequently. Hydrated students will lead to more healthy and
focused students in the classroom.
Policies for Hydration
The committee members will work with school officials to create policies around the
campus to ensure students have the resources to hydrate properly. School water fountains will be
maintained regularly to ensure they are clean, in proper working condition, and the filters are
changed regularly as one of the policies. Another policy will be to offer students bottles of water
in addition to milk during breakfast and lunch programs. Students are not drinking enough water
throughout the day, and if they are given a bottle of water, it might encourage them to drink. This
might require additional funding, but the benefits of proper hydration outweigh the costs because
nothing is more valuable than healthy students are.
Another policy would be enacted to place a hydration urine chart (Appendix A) in stall of
the bathrooms in a manner the limits removal. The urine chart will enable students to see how
hydrated they are and be able to gauge if they need to consume more water or not. An additional
policy would be to remove all the soda from vending machines and only allow sports drinks and

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water to be sold. In addition to this policy, another policy should be created to prohibit any other
types of beverages on school grounds, with exception of sporting events, fundraisers, etc. It is
hard to implement any other policies regarding drinking water because students cannot be forced
to drink it, but they can be given no other option while at school. This would also require staff
enforcement and adhering of this policy.
Proposals for Staff Involvement
Staff involvement is necessary to creating a successful program at the school. Staff will
be encouraged to become a part of the health and wellness committee. Staff should also allow
hydration related visuals to be present in their classrooms. A very fun way to encourage the staff
to model hydration is for the staff members to take the 30-day gallon-a-day challenge (Appendix
A). The challenge will be an ongoing challenge every 30 days, and teachers will be encouraged
to participate to receive a gift, as well as feel healthier and look better. In addition, the committee
members will provide separate training for staff so they are better prepared to encourage and
engage their students with the topic of dehydration.
Student Engagement
In addition to the student ambassadors in the wellness committee, students may be
required to participate in creations of banners or educational material for the school. The school
may participate in a wellness week with nutrition and hydration being a focus of one day where
students would present on these topics. In addition, students may participate in a water drinking
challenge by class. The students would be required to keep an electronic log of how many ounces
of water consumed, and at the end of hydration week, the committee members would tally up
each class totals for the winner. Water safety would be encouraged during this process so that

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students do not consume too much water in a short amount of time. Students will likely see and
feel the added benefits of drinking water.
Family and Community Involvement
The students and staff are not the only members that can be involved in the benefits of
hydration. Flyers or emails will often be sent home encouraging families to drink water on a
regular basis. Parents will be informed through these materials about the dangers of dehydration
and the importance of hydration to their childrens learning. Parents will also be encouraged to
become a member of the health and wellness committee, and to support the instruction of such
important topics. Additionally, the school will host a community wide project to give water by
drinking water (Appendix A).
With this project, families, staff, and students will promise to drink water for two weeks
and donate all the money that would have been spent on coffee, soda, alcohol, or any other
beverage to the project. The purpose of the project is to take that money and use it to purchase
water that will be sent to impoverished countries that do not have running water. The money can
also be used as part of a larger organization that helps build the resources for clean water in these
countries. The benefits of this project are twofold: they help the community consume more
water, and they give water to those without. The community, students, and staff would thus work
together bringing the community closer to the school, achieving the ultimate goal to support the
schools in its community.
Conclusion
The effects of dehydration in youth have been understudied, but preliminary studies have
suggested that it causes little retention of memory, sleepiness, and slowed reaction times in
children and teens. Combatting dehydration is not only important because it keeps individuals

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bodies healthy, but it keeps their minds healthy as well. If studies suggest these negative effects
of mild dehydration on the body, it is sad to envision what communities and countries without
water go through. Implementing a community involvement event that encourages a healthy
behavior as well as serves to support countries in need is, at the minimum, what every school
should consider implementing.
There has been little attention given to the effects of dehydration in relation to students
and their cognitive abilities, and this could be why there have been very few actions against it in
schools. While there are other important health issues for schools to battle, hydration of their
students should not be considered a tertiary issue. The plan set in place as a way for the school to
react is very straightforward and leaves room for alteration and improvement. Nothing is ever set
in stone, but it would be interesting to implement the program and measure how much students
health and grades improve. While, it may be a slow start to get this implemented, it could have
beneficial lasting effects that could contribute to future studies. It could also contribute to
fighting the national obesity epidemic because students will be consuming less sugary beverages
and more water. The plan does offer some strict applications, but it takes extreme efforts to create
a drastic change in the nation.
Implementing a plan to influence good hydration practices is a new idea for schools to
continue. The idea is that this plan will be implemented in one school, and then it will catch on at
other schools in the district and, finally, the nation. There is a need for adequate hydration, not
only among students but among staff and community members as well. Education about
dehydration is an important step, and getting all parties involved in continuous learning is the
best way for the plans to succeed. The overall goal is to maintain a healthy school and
community, and to make a positive impact in the world.

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References

D Anci, K. E., Constant, Florence, & Rosenberg, I. H. (2006). Hydration and Cognitive
Function in Children. Nutrition in Clinical Care, 457-464, DOI: 10.1301/nr.2006.oct457464
Kempton, M. J., Ettinger, Ulrich, Foster, Russell, Williams, S. C. R., Calvert, G. A., Hampshire,
Adam, Zelaya, F. O., OGorman, R. L., McMorris, Terry, Owen, A. M. & Smith, Marcus
S. (2011). Dehydration Affects Brain Structure and Function in Healthy Adolescents.
Human Brain Mapping, 32:71-79. DOI: 10.1002/hbm20999
Kenney, E. L., Long, M. W., Cradock, A. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2015). Prevalence of
inadequate hydration among US children and disparities by gender and Race/Ethnicity:
National health and nutrition examination survey, 2009-2012. American Journal of
Public Health, 105(8), E113-E118. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/
login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1697733816?accountid=4485
Murray, Bob. (2007) Hydration and Physical Performance, Journal of the American College of
Nutrition, 26:sup5, 542S-548S, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2007.10719656
Mitchell, I. D., Cleary, M. A., & Line, S. M. (2013). Voluntary, Chronic Dehydration in
Adolescent American Football Players. Retrieved from digitalcommons.fiu.edu

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Appendix A

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Drink Water To Give Water

Appendix A

Drink Water and save the amount

you would spend on drinks for two
weeks, and donate it to provide water
for countries without.

15

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hydratED

16

Appendix A

Teachers & Staf

8am----------9am----------11am----------1pm----------3pm----------5pm----------7pm-----------

30 Day

8pm-----------

Gallon Challenge
A gallon a day for 30 days

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It is necessary to pass the Signature Assignment with a C or better in all categories to pass this course.
*A passing grade is a total score of 72.5 points or higher, which includes your 10 point outline score. See Appendix B for description
of Signature Assignment
Rubric for Signature Assignment

Criteria with
Professional
Standards
DEHYDRATION
Referenced
Outline

5
Exemplary
(97 100%)

Outline Turned
In(Already
submitted for
points)

Logical, detailed outline

with at least 5 original
peer reviewed references
written in APA format is
submitted with a
technology choice
selected to embed the
assignment.

4
Highly
Proficient
(93 96%)

3
Proficient
(83 92%)

2
Approaching
Proficient
(73 82%)

1
Unsatisfactory
(72%
and below)18

Brief outline
with at least 5
original peer
reviewed
references
written in
APA format is
submitted.

Brief outline with some

references but not 5
original peer reviewed
references written in APA
format are submitted.

Brief outline
with one or no
references
submitted.

No outline was
submitted.

Introduction
is fully
developed
with all topics
introduced.

Introduction is addressed
well, somewhat
organized and created a
plan for the paper

Introduction is
addressed
adequately.

Introduction is omitted
or was disorganized
and did not create a
plan for the paper.

1. Literature
review
addresses
major issues
in the area.
2. Thorough
use of a range
of references

1. Literature review may

address major issues, but
issues may not be
supported with expert
knowledge.

1. Literature
review does
not address the
major issues in
the area; the
level of
support for the
issues is not

1. Literature review
does not have the
depth of knowledge
appropriate to this
upper level course.

10 Points

5 x 2=10 points
Introduction

10 Points

Introduction to
the topic and
overview (In
your purpose
statement also
introduce all
subtopics)

Introduction is fully
developed, well
organized, introduces all
topics, created a plan for
the paper and invites the
reader to read further.

InTASC 1c,k;
5k; 9f; 10h
NAEYC 6b
NETS-T 3a,d;
4a,c
CEC EC2S1;
CC7K1;
EC7K1;CC9K4;
CC9S8
Literature
Review
Adequacy of
Knowledge
(includes 5 peer
reviewed
original
research
articles
references)
InTASC 1c,k;

5 x 2=10 points

15 Points
1. Literature review
highlights major issues in
the area.
2. Through use of a
range of references to
support key issues.
3. Description of

2. Good use of
references, but additional

2. Includes less than 2

references.

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