Can reconnecting with one’s traditional culture be an important key to healthy habits? A recent community-based study evaluated the impact of a culturally-grounded intervention designed to improve beverage consumption habits among young Navajo children. Between 2021 and 2023, 74 families participated in the four-month Water is K’e pilot study at six early care and education sites. The results demonstrated that average daily water intake among participants increased from 17 ounces to 22 ounces per day, underscoring the program’s potential to establish healthy hydration practices among younger generations.
Rates of water insecurity are reportedly higher among rural Indigenous communities, potentially resulting in beverage choices that can increase the risk of childhood obesity, poor cardiometabolic health and dental caries. The Water is K’é programming was developed around 3 core strategies: addressing drinking water safely and palatability, improving access to water, and educating about the role of water in Diné (or Navajo) culture. At the conclusion of the pilot, the proportion of parents reporting knowledge about Diné water traditions increased from 59% to 87%, and the proportion for whom traditions influenced the beverages provided to their children increased from 46% to 82%. Together, these findings suggest that culturally centered approaches can play a meaningful role in increasing water intake among young Navajo children while strengthening community connection and identity.
The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. It was authored by Carmen George, Brianna John, Rachel Whitman, Sonya S. Shin, and Asia Soleil Yazzie from the Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Ken Hecht and Christina Hecht from the Nutrition Policy Institute at UC ANR, Letizia Trevisi from the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Laura Vollmer from UC ANR Cooperative Extension, Kerlissa Bitah and Eva Bennett from FACE (an early childhood program) atT’iis Nazbas Community School, Louise Benally and Malyssa Egge from Navajo Nation, and Lavina Jones from the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at Diné College. The study was funded by Healthy Eating Research.