Unhealthy Behavior Drinking Inadequate water

Drinking Inadequate water
One must drink enough pure water on a daily basis for good health. However, many people forego water and concentrate on other fluids which have additional ingredients. These cannot be compared to water when it comes to health benefits. (McLennan, 2000)
Take the example of young kids, who mostly prefer sweet drinks such artificial juice and sodas. Likewise, teens go for energy drinks and sports drinks in lieu of water. (Simpson, & Mazzeo, 2017)
A recent Havard study found out that over half of the children in America are dehydrated. This has many negative implications on their health and academic performance. (McLenan, 2000)
Another study showed that a quarter of American children do not drink water daily. Boys were found to be 75% more likely to be dehydrated than the girls. (Valtin, 2002)
65 % of the human body is made up of water. This water helps in a number of biochemical reactions and physiological processes. These include: metabolism, blood circulation, waste removal, body temperature regulation and detoxification. (Valtin, 2002)
Feeling thirsty is the first signal your body sends once it loses about 2% of its total water content. Therefore, thirst is one good indicator of what amount of water you need to drink to ensure the daily needs are met. (McLenan, 2000)
It is however important to note that by the time you feel thirsty, the body is in its formative stages of dehydration. Therefore, it is good not to ignore that initial feeling of thirst. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
This thirst mechanism cannot be depended on by young children. The mechanism is normally underdeveloped and thus can can easily plunge the young ones into dehydration. The same is true for the elderly, this time the thirst mechanism having become less functional. (McLennan, 2000)
Dehydration causes one to be more irritable and fatigued. One may also quickly lose concentration and focus, thus dangerous for sensitive activities such as driving. The Physiology and Behavior journal recently published a study, stating that dehydrated drivers are twice likely to make errors while driving, as compared to well watered drivers. Thus dehydration can be equated to drunk driving. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
Health campaigns have successfully made many people aware of the health hazards of soda, but these same people are not aware of the health hazards of fruit juice. Thus people in many developed nations have over-consumed fruit juice, leading to high rates of obesity, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. (McLennan, 2000) Simply put, swapping sodas for fruit juice is of no help to your body. Worse still, research has it that fruit juice may cause more harm to your health than sodas. (Valtin, 2002)
The need for hydration does not mean every water is safe for drinking. One should go for toxin free water to avoid adding pollutants to the body. For instance, tap water may contain a number of harmful pollutants, including chlorine, heavy metals, disinfection byproducts and pharmaceutical drugs. (McLennan, 2000) Federal scientists recently studied water samples from 25 municipalities in the US. They found a third of the samples to be contaminated with 18 substances, including per-fluorinated compounds such as PFOA.This tells us to ever be careful on what type of water we drink. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
Bottled water may seem the next convenient option after tap water, but this also has a number of disadvantages. The plastic water bottles may directly expose you to industrial chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol-A and bisphenol-S. Secondly, bottled water is a whooping 1900 times more expensive than regular tap water. And despite this cost, it is a known fact that 40 % of bottled water is actually tap water which may not have been subjected to any additional filtering treatment. (McLennan, 2000)
You may be surprised to know that bottled water is more prone to contamination than tap water. This is better explained by the recommended testing intervals by the relevant bodies. For instance, the US Environmetal Protection Agency (EPA) states that public water supplies should be tested for pollutants several times a day. In the contrary, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stipulates that private bottlers should test water for pollutants either weekly, yearly, or once in four years. (McLennan, 2000)
Many people have become extra busy of late, to the point of forgetting something as easy as drinking water. This may take a toll on them without realizing, since they are pre-occupied with other things. Outlined below are a variety of strategies one can apply to ensure they drink enough water every day. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
Drink water in the morning. Make sure to drink at least one glass of water first thing in the morning, before taking tea or coffee. This may prove quite difficult as you start out, but you should get used to it in a few days of constant drinking. (Valtin, 2002)
Always pack a water bottle. It is commonplace to defer drinking water simply because you have no access to water. In case there is no drinking point at or near your work place or school, make it a habit of carrying a water bottle of a size enough to last you the whole day. (McLennan, 2000)
Make use of drinking fountains. Whenever you find the slightest opportunity, stop at drinking fountains to grab a sip before you continue with your activities. You don’t necessarily have to feel thirsty so as to drink water. The small sips spread throughout the day will see you meeting the recommended daily minimum. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
Drink whenever you eat. Choose water as the go-to drink after meals, instead of coffee, tea, juice or alcohol. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017) Even if you are in a hotel, do not let the waiter tempt you with hot beverages. Purposefully stick to water, sipping before, during and after the meal. This will fill up your daily recommended intake as well as make you feel full faster so you don’t overeat. (Valtin 2002)
Try flavoring your water. In case you dislike water because of its tastelessness, you are the right person to add flavor to your water to give you the psyche you need to drink it. (McLennan, 2000)
What is the meaning of Self-Efficacy?
Self-efficacy is the belief a person may have in concurring the challenges that face him/her and realize success. It is an umbrella term referring to our overall belief, but it can further be broken down to specifics such as academics, sports, parenting, etc.
Theory of Planned Behavior
The theory of planned behavior dates back to 1980, when it was started as a theory of reasoned action. This tries to predict the intention of an individual when he/she engages in a particular activity. This theory was made in a bid to explain all acts over which people are able to exercise self control. (McLennan, 2000) Simpson & Mazzeo (2017) assert that attitude influences behavioral intentions, such that if a certain behavior will yield the expected outcome, and the accompanying risks be minimal, an individual is likely to go for it.
According to the theory of reasoned action, the intention of a person is what determines his/her behaviour. The behaviour also depends on the attitude of this individual and his/her subjectivity. (Valtin, 2002) Thus intention remains the best predictor of behavior. Intention speaks of how ready an individual may be to perform some particular behavior. Intention is itself dependent on three things: attitude towards a given behavior, subjective norms of an individual, and perceived behavioral control. This theory of planned behavior has it that behavior can be predicted by only a specific attitude. (McLennan, 2000)
One of the main concerns and goals of health campaigns across the globe is to increase overall water intake in the population. It is evident that such high consumption of water can only be possible through self-efficacy. Self efficacy determines an individual’s capacity to take control over challenging demands. It is this belief that will dictate whether the individual will make any initiative, and how much the initiative will last through a myriad of obstacles and failures. It is good to note that self-efficacy can be boosted by persuasion (e.g. a nurse reassuring patients that they will always eat healthy due to the endowment of the facility). (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
In order to predict the intentions of a given individual, one must know the beliefs and the attitudes of that person. Intentions are also influenced by one’s perceived behavioral control. (Valtin, 2002) Perceived behavioral control is basically the way people see their ability to behave in a certain way. McLennan (2000) gives this general rule: the more positive the attitude and the subjective norm, and the bigger the perceived control, the stronger the individual’s intention to perform should be. (McLennan, 2000)
Any intervention should have adequate supportive evidence that it works. There is much evidence that self-efficacy results in positive nutrition change. Self-efficacy, being a social-cognitive intervention, influences behavior change. (Valtin, 2002)
Action plans see to it that intentions are actually acted on. Actions plans specify where, when and how such intentions will be executed. An action plan is very beneficial to an individual who has that desire to act. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017) Results from a recent research show that those who made action plans consumed less fat. Likewise, those who made a conscious plan for their meals ended up taking healthier foods and drinks throughout the 5 days of study. (McLennan, 2000)
Action plans help achieve goals by increasing automatic responses to cues. Action plans also encourage individuals to plan their course of action on a regular basis. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017)
Self-efficacy intervention, when combined with action planning, results in considerable positive change. However, in some cases, such combination yields little or no change. (McLennan, 2000)
Behavioral Observation Tally Sheet
PURPOSE
This sheet shows the frequency of drinking water in a 2 days’ study. The goal is to monitor the daily intake volume.

BEHAVIORS INVESTIGATED
Drinking adequate water is one way to keep healthy. However, a lot of people don’t attain the minimum recommended daily intake. The observations will be made at different time intervals, marking the number of glasses of water taken at each interval.

DIRECTIONS
In order to find out the level of water intake for one day, we shall add up the number of water glasses taken every day. The percentage will then be calculated by dividing the number of water glasses taken per day by 12. (One should drink at least 12 glasses of water per day).



Target problem behavior: Not taking enough water
Alternate target behavior: Taking enough water
Behavior Observation Tally Sheet


Time/day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday

7:00
1 glass
1 glass





9:00
0 glass
2 glasses





12:00
2 glasses
3 glasses





1500
1 glass
1 glass





2100
2 glasses
2 glasses







Analysis
From the above data, the water intake on Monday is approximately 50%. In an attempt to improve behavioral water intake, some actions were taken, which increased the average percentage intake to 75%. (Valtin, 2002) This clearly shows that such a plan can help improve levels of water intake. The data should be collected for the rest of the week to make meaningful conclusions.
How much water do you need?
There is actually no rigid rule on this. Many people meet their daily hydration requirements by taking water when they feel thirsty. This is in accordance to a report by Institute of Medicine of the National Academics, on nutrient recommendations. (Simpson, & Mazzeo 2017) According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, a healthy individual is able to get enough fluid by drinking pure water and other beverages in response to thirst, and also by drinking beverages with meals. A good way to monitor your hydration level is to study the urine. Clear urine indicates good hydration levels, whereas dark urine may be a sign of dehydration. (McLennan, 2000)


References
McLennan, J. D. (2000). To boil or not: drinking water for children in a periurban barrio. Social science & medicine, 51(8), 1211-1220.
Simpson, C. C., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2017). Skinny is not enough: A content analysis of fitspiration on Pinterest. Health communication, 32(5), 560-567.
Sobal, J., Revicki, D., & DeForge, B. R. (1992). Patterns of Interrelationships Atnong Health-Promotion Behaviors. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 8(6), 351-359.
Valtin, H., & (With the Technical Assistance of Sheila A. Gorman). (2002). “Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” Really? Is there scientific evidence for “8× 8”?. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 283(5), R993-R1004.