The effect of water consumption on attention level of 9-10 years old children

The study was carried out with a quasi-experimental design to determine the effect of water consumption on attention level in children aged 9-10. The population of the study was composed of 4th grade students at Cumhuriyet Primary School in Bandırma district. N= 350). A total of 139 students, 57 in the intervention group and 82 in the control group, were included in the study. Ethics committee approval and written consent from institutions and parents were obtained in order to conduct the study. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Daily Fluid Consumption Determination Form, d2 Attention Test. The intervention group was given 250 ml of water before the d2 attention test. There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of socio- demographic characteristics and fluid consumption-related factors (p > 0.05). It was found that the daily amount of fluid consumed by both male and female students in the intervention group was higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). It was found that the mean scores of TN (total number of marked steps) i.e. psychomotor speed (p < 0.05) and TN-E (test performances) of the intervention group (p < 0.001) were significantly higher than the control group. It was determined that the mean error average score (E) and error rate (E%) of the intervention group in the attention test were lower than the control group, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). It was found that the mean FR (attention swing, distraction) score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (p < 0.001). It was found that the mean scores of CP (total number of correct markings) and TN-E (test performances) were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.001). As a result, it is recommended that children should be given regular fluid consumption behavior in order to increase their attention level. The school health nurse should take an active role in the development of policies regarding fluid consumption in schools.