Water Intake in a Sample of Greek Adults Evaluated with the Water Balance Questionnaire (WBQ) and a Seven-Day Diary

Adelais Athanasatou,Aikaterini Kandyliari,Maria Kapsokefalou,Olga Malisova

doi:10.3390/nu8090559

Abstract

Awareness on the importance of hydration in health has created an unequivocal need to enrich knowledge on water intake of the general population and on the contribution of beverages to total water intake. We evaluated in the past water intake in a sample of Greek adults using two approaches. In study A, volunteers completed the Water Balance Questionnaire (WBQ), a food frequency questionnaire, designed to evaluate water intake (n = 1092; 48.1% males; 43 ± 18 years). In study B, a different population of volunteers recorded water, beverage, and food intake in seven-day diaries (n = 178; 51.1% males; 37 ± 12 years). Herein, data were reanalyzed with the objective to reveal the contribution of beverages in total water intake with these different methodologies. Beverage recording was grouped in the following categories: Hot beverages; milk; fruit and vegetable juices; caloric soft drinks; diet soft drinks; alcoholic drinks; other beverages; and water. Total water intake and water intake from beverages was 3254 (SE 43) mL/day and 2551 (SE 39) mL/day in study A; and 2349 (SE 59) mL/day and 1832 (SE 56) mL/day in study B. In both studies water had the highest contribution to total water intake, approximately 50% of total water intake, followed by hot beverages (10% of total water intake) and milk (5% of total water intake). These two approaches contribute information on water intake in Greece and highlight the contribution of different beverages; moreover, they point out differences in results obtained from different methodologies attributed to limitations in their use.

Highlights

Reports that linked hydration with the maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions [1]engendered the need for data on hydration of the general population and for public health advice on water intake.Hydration reflects balance between water intake and loss
The objectives of the present study were to reanalyze the existing databases in order: (a) to report water intake and the type of beverages consumed in a sample of Greek adults using a food frequency questionnaire and a seven-day diary; and (b) to compare the water intake recorded from these two approaches, i.e., a semi-quantified food and fluids frequency questionnaire or a seven-day diary record
The present study reports and comments on data for water intake from all sources using the Water Balance Questionnaire (WBQ), a semi-quantified food and fluid frequency questionnaire and a seven-day diary record in healthy Greek adults aged 18–75 years living in the metropolitan area of Athens

Summary

Introduction

Engendered the need for data on hydration of the general population and for public health advice on water intake. Hydration reflects balance between water intake and loss. Water intake consists of water from a variety of sources; namely, drinking water, beverages, and fluid and solid foods. In most studies, drinking water and beverages contribute approximately 80%, and solid and fluid foods approximately. Water loss consists mainly from excretion of water in urine, respiratory water, feces, and sweat [2]. New studies focus on evaluating water intake in the general population in different countries using either new data or retrospective analyses of older studies, building information on water intake worldwide [4,5,6,7,8].

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Methods

Conclusion