An Assessment of Daily Plain Water, Fluid Intake Levels and Its Association with Total Energy Intake among Medical Students in Benghazi University in Libya

Abstract

Background: Water is the main component of the human body. The effect of an adequate fluid consumption is well-known and its relevance for the maintenance and promotion of health cannot be denied. Water is an essential nutrient for humans with several vital roles including: maintaining body functions, temperature and preventing dehydration. The human body consists of about 60% of water. The water in the body has numerous physiological roles: it is essential for the breathing (oxygen transport to the cells) and metabolism, digestion (absorption of nutrients). Nevertheless, many students ignore drinking water because of the modern lifestyle and the existence of alternatives to water. The previous studies notes that drinking water is connected with healthy dietary practices including reduced sugar-sweetened beverages consumption, but few studies considered the impact of drinking water on the total energy (calories) intake. Aim of study: This study was designed for evaluate of both plain water (pure water) and total water (water from pure water, beverages, and foods), and the intake is tested for its relationship with the daily energy intake, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity of students. Methods: This study was designed a cross-sectional descriptive study, a total number of 455 (231 females and 224 males) of medical college students were collected randomly, aged from 19-30 years, and collected from five medical faculties for all study years in the campus, ,food, fluid, and plain water intake of subjects was assessed, by 24-hour recall method. Dietary intake of subjects was analyzed manually by nutritionists. In this study, an assessment of the intake of both plain water (pure water) and total water (water from pure water, beverages, and foods) is performed, (drinking fluid values merged with data on the water content of foods and the rate of metabolic water were figured out. The mean of total and plain water intake made and analyzed (spss version20). Statistics testing: A significance testing such as a t-test, ANOVA and chi-square test we used. The intake both plain and total water intake was compared with its recommended levels, daily calories consumed, body mass index BMI, and physical activity of students. Results: Results indicated that in these age groups, plain water intake was 1627 1100 mL/ day and total water intake was 2600 1282 mL/ day for all participants. The plain water intake for male was 2190 1363, and the plain water intake for female was 1384 992. Total water intake for male was 3300 1627, and 2360 1078 for female. Furthermore, the results indicated that the plain water composes 43% of the daily total water intake for the whole study sample. In reference to Adequate Intakes (AIs), total water intake was closer to the recommended levels compared to plain water intake. Males showed better compliance with the recommended levels of AIs than females, Females who got less than the recommended daily intake of total water was 85.7% of the total female population compared to 68% for the general male's population. About a 22.8% males were above the recommended level of total water intake, compared to only 14% for females. The results also showed that male students more consumption of tea and coffee than female. While the consumption of male and female for milk and other beverages nearly the same. Total Water intake were strongly and positively correlated with plain water intake (r=0.92, p<0.001). The statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between BMI and water

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