Author Interviews, JAMA, NYU, Pediatrics, Weight Research / 20.01.2016
Water Jets In Schools Provide One Key To Reducing Childhood Obesity
More on Obesity from MedicalResearch.com
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Brian Elbel, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Langone Medical Center
Amy Schwartz, PhD, Director, New York University Institute for Education and Social Policy, and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Affairs, Syracuse University
Michele Leardo, MA, Assistant Director
New York University Institute for Education and Social Policy
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: New York City, as well as other school districts, is making tap water available to students during lunch by placing water dispensers, called water jets, in schools. Surprisingly, drinking water was not always readily available in the lunchroom. Water jets are part of a larger effort to combat child obesity.
We find small, but statistically significant, decreases in weight for students in schools with water jets compared to students in schools without water jets. We see a .025 reduction in standardized body mass index for boys and .022 for girls. We also see a .9 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of being overweight for boys and a .6 percentage point reduction for girls. In other words, the intervention is working.
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