European Healthy Hydration Awareness Campaign for Dietitians

Abstract

Up to 50% of the adult population fail to meet the recommended total water intake despite the adverse health outcomes associated with chronic low fluid intake. Total fluid intake plays an important role in the energy and nutrient intake of individuals. Dietitians' role is to advise and guide the population toward a healthier diet. However, based on existing evidence, dietitians' current knowledge and practices regarding healthy hydration is an area for improvement. The European Healthy Hydration Awareness Campaign (EuHHAC) is an initiative between the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) and the Hydration and Health Department of Danone Research, which aims to increase knowledge and awareness of healthy hydration and provide dietitians with evidence-based resources to use in practice. Since 2016, a series of tasks were undertaken by the EuHHAC group targeting dietitians across Europe. These tasks included an online survey addressing gaps in hydration knowledge, a webinar providing information on the terminology and impact of hydration on health, an interactive session addressing facilitators and barriers to healthy hydration, and a tutorial summarizing key hydration information and take-home messages. Dietitians were actively engaged in each aspect. Based on the feedback received, awareness of hydration was increased among dietitians. To further enhance understanding, an online Hydration Resource Center, including the resources of EuHHAC, will be created and uploaded on the EFAD website. Once completed an evaluation study will be undertaken to assess the usefulness of the resources in practice. The deliverables will be cascaded across Europe and worldwide via social media, conferences, and publications.

Keywords: Dietitians; Education; Hydration; Knowledge; Practice; Water.