Water bottles in schools may fight tooth decay and weight gain
NCT ID NCT06714929
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study will give thousands of elementary school students refillable water bottles and install hydration stations in their schools, along with lessons about healthy hydration. Researchers will track whether this simple change reduces tooth decay and helps maintain healthy body weight over three years. The goal is to see if improving access to water in schools can make a real difference in children's health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- refillable water bottles and hydration stations with education and outreach
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to reduce cavities and prevent obesity in schoolchildren by improving water access.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral study, not a drug trial, so results depend on how well schools and students follow the program. It may not show clear health benefits, and changes in diet or other factors could affect outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 7,200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Lunchroom observations: All students (K-5th \[Pre-Kindergarten if applicable\]) who eat lunch in the cafeteria on assessment days are eligible * BMI and dental caries assessments: 1) student enrolls in study while in 3rd grade (followed through 5th g) * Student surveys: Students in 4th-5th grade are eligible to complete surveys assessing beverage intake and perceptions of hydration practices within their school district. * Staff surveys: All staff in the target schools will be eligible to complete the Personnel Survey. Exclusion Criteria: * Lunchroom observations: None. * BMI and dental caries assessments: Students are ineligible if they are unable to complete assessments due to developmental or physical reasons, 2) planning to move in the study duration * Student surveys: None. * Staff surveys: None.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU Healthy Lifestyles Center
RECRUITINGHenrico, Virginia, 23229, United States
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