Secondary school students' water report: The relationship between drinking water habits and drinking water characteristics and metacognitive awareness levels

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to measure the water drinking habits of children studying in the 6th grade of secondary school, to determine the consumption habits of water and other liquids, and to compare their health and cognitive levels with the amount / habits of drinking water. Materials and Methods: The research is an analytical cross-sectional study. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 807 students, 327 from Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Secondary School in Izmir Province Bornova District, 216 from Şehit Polis Mehmet Çelik Secondary School and 264 from Karacaoğlan District Secondary School. Research data is water report; Introductory characteristics form, 5-day fluid consumption and urination frequency chart, and metacognitive awareness scale were collected. The data of the study were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 Windows program. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis (Pearson correlation test, Chi-Square test, Student t test, One Way Analysis of Variance, Kruskal Wallis test, Mann Whitney U test and Posthoc Test Tuk HSD- honestly significant difference test) were used in the analysis of the data. Findings: There is a low positive correlation (between 0.23-0.27) between the amount of water consumption of the students included in the study on three days during the week and the Metacognitive Awareness Scale scores (between 0.23 and 0.27), but a moderate positive relationship with the amount of water consumption for two days at the weekend (0.40- 0.44) (p <0.001). A moderate positive correlation (between 0.34 and 0.39) was found between the frequency of urination of the students included in the study (p <0.001). The mean score of the Students' Metacognitive Awareness Scale is 64.51 ± 9.51; It was found between 29.00-89.00 points. Results: Students' consumption of liquids other than water was found to be more common than water consumption. As a result of the study, it was determined that the water drinking frequency of the students was related to the Metacognitive Awareness Scale Scores. Key Words: School health, water, metacognition,cognition, middle school students