Evaluation of liquids consumption by young people

Abstract

Introduction. Water is the most important constituent of all living organisms. Normally, the human body needs a daily intake of 1.5-2 L of water (recommended intake), but sometimes this need can increase. The individual need for water varies depending on the climate, physical exertion, age, health, etc. If water requirements are not met, then changes in water balance occur. Drinking water covers up to 10% of the daily requirement in microelements, such as: iodine, iron, zinc, magnesium, molybdenum, cobalt, and for fluoride and strontium water is the main source of supply in the body. Aim of study. Assessment of fluid intake by young people and highlighting deficiencies related to proper hydration of the body. Methods and materials. A descriptive epidemiological study was designed. The study was attended by students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest (Romania) and the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemitanu", Chisinau (Republic of Moldova). The study population included 119 young people, aged between 18 and 25 years. A standardised questionnaire "The hydration status questionnaire for adolescent-young population (HSQ-AY)" was applied online. Study period: September 2021 - January 2022. Results. Of the total number of participants, 81.5% were women, and 84.9% were young people from urban areas. Only 51.3% of people usually have a bottle of water with them when they leave the house, of which 68.1% have a bottle of water when they go to university. It is important to note that 92.4% of students reported drinking water between meals and about the same number of students (91.6%) reported drinking water during physical activity. Only 5.9% of students reported consuming isotonic and / or energy drinks during physical activity. The feeling of thirst is quenched with drinking water vs. other liquids in 82.3% of cases, however about 5% of young people mentioned that they do not like drinking water. The most common liquids consumed by young people are juices, teas, sweetened carbonated water, coffee. It is worth mentioning that most young people (95.8%) know what the recommended daily intake of drinking water is. Thus, 37% of young people consume an average of 1-1.5 L of water per day, 35.3% - 1.5-2 L, 8.4% - 2- 2.5 L. 12.6% of young people consume less than one litre of drinking water a day. Knowing what the health consequences are if the body is not sufficiently hydrated, young people mentioned that they have headaches (52.9%), lack of concentration (51.3%), dizziness (27.7%), asthenia (26.1%), dry mouth (16.8%), constipation (10.1%), chills (1.7%), cramps (10.1%), tachycardia (10%). Conclusion. Getting enough water is essential for health and fitness. Young people, for the most part, know the benefits of proper hydration of the body and follow all the recommendations.