Hydration StatusHYDRAGAMENCT07212309
Six-Week Board Game Intervention to Improve Hydration in Tunisian School Children
A study testing Board Game-Based Hydration Education Program in people with Hydration Status and Hydration Behavior, run by The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax at 1 site in Tunisia.
Trial summary
This study evaluated a six-week educational program designed to improve hydration knowledge, hydration status, and drinking practices in young school children in Tunisia. The intervention used an adapted "Snakes and Ladders" board game that delivers fun, age-appropriate messages about healthy fluid intake. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 to 7 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Hydration Status, Hydration Behavior, Water Intake
- What is being tested?
- Board Game-Based Hydration Education Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 240 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTunisia
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2022to 31 Mar 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 6 to 7 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- First-grade students aged 6-7 years
- Normal BMI according to Cole criteria (2007)
- Parental consent provided
Who cannot join
- Exempted from PE due to injury, allergy, or medical condition
- Absent during data collection
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Tunisia1 site
Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax
Tunis, Sfax Governorate, 3018
About this study
Official title: The Effect of a Six-Week Board Game-Based Educational Intervention on Hydration Knowledge, Status, and Practices in Tunisian School Children
This study evaluated a six-week educational program designed to improve hydration knowledge, hydration status, and drinking practices in young school children in Tunisia. The intervention used an adapted "Snakes and Ladders" board game that delivers fun, age-appropriate messages about healthy fluid intake.
Two hundred forty first-grade students (ages 6-7 years) from two public primary schools were invited to participate during the 2021-2022 academic year. After obtaining parental consent, children were assigned by class to either an intervention group, which played the hydration board game once a week before their physical education (PE) lesson, or a control group, which continued usual activities.
Primary outcomes included hydration knowledge, hydration status (change in body mass before and after PE), perceived thirst, and the volume of water consumed during PE. Outcomes were measured before the program and again after six weeks. This randomized controlled trial sought to determine whether a playful, classroom-based board game can enhance children's understanding and daily practices related to proper hydration.
Read the detailed description
Adequate hydration is a critical determinant of children's physical health, cognitive functioning, and participation in daily school activities. Despite the well-documented benefits of maintaining optimal hydration, evidence consistently demonstrates that many school-aged children consume insufficient amounts of water during the school day. This inadequacy may compromise physical performance, learning capacity, and general well-being. Consequently, effective and engaging strategies are required to promote hydration-related knowledge and foster sustainable drinking behaviors in school settings.
This study employed a cluster-randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week board game-based educational intervention in enhancing hydration knowledge, hydration status, and fluid consumption among Tunisian primary school children. The intervention was conceived as an innovative, developmentally appropriate approach that integrates health education within a playful learning format.
Participating schools were randomly allocated at the class level to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention consisted of weekly sessions in which children played an adapted version of the traditional "Snakes and Ladders" board game. The game was modified to incorporate hydration-related messages: ladders symbolized appropriate hydration practices, while snakes represented missed opportunities to drink water. Each session lasted approximately 30 minutes and was conducted immediately prior to scheduled physical education lessons. Teachers facilitated gameplay, guided discussion, and reinforced key messages. Children assigned to the control group continued their usual educational activities without exposure to the intervention.
Primary outcomes focused on cognitive, behavioral, and physiological aspects of hydration. Specifically, researchers examined changes in children's hydration knowledge, hydration status during physical education, perceived thirst, and water intake across the intervention period. Baseline and post-intervention assessments were conducted to evaluate program impact.
By embedding health-related messages into a culturally adapted, game-based learning tool, this study seeks to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of playful education in fostering positive hydration behaviors. The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for innovative school-based health promotion strategies and may provide valuable insights for educators and public health practitioners aiming to enhance children's well-being through accessible, low-cost interventions.
- Conditions
- Hydration Status, Hydration Behavior, Water Intake
- Being tested
- Board Game-Based Hydration Education Program
- Keywords
- hydration, hydration knowledge, water intake, Physical Education, Board Game Intervention
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Board Game-Based Hydration Education ProgramBehavioural
A six-week educational program delivered through board games, designed to improve hydration knowledge, practices, and status among school children. The program includes interactive sessions, quizzes, and games that teach the importance of adequate water intake. It is integrated into regular school activities and monitored for engagement and adherence.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group - Board Game-Based Hydration Education | Experimental | Children in this group participate in a six-week educational program using board games designed to improve hydration knowledge, encourage healthy drinking behaviors, and monitor hydration status. Sessions are interactive, engaging, and integrated into school activities Receives: Behavioral: Board Game-Based Hydration Education Program |
| Control Group - Usual School Activities | No intervention | Children in this group continue their usual school routine without any additional educational program on hydration. They serve as a comparison to evaluate the effects of the intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in hydration knowledge among school children
Hydration knowledge was assessed using the Hydration Awareness Questionnaire (HAQ), a validated instrument designed to evaluate understanding of hydration concepts, acclimatization, and their importance for safe exercise. The HAQ consists of 15 items, each scored on a 0-10 Likert scale (0 = strongly disagree, 10 = strongly agree), for a total possible score of 0-150, with higher scores indicating greater hydration knowledge. The primary objective is to determine whether the board game-based educational intervention improves children's hydration knowledge relative to the control group.
Measured: From baseline to end of six-week intervention
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in self-reported hydration habits among school children
Self-reported hydration practices were assessed using the Hydration Habits Questionnaire (HHQ), a validated instrument consisting of 7 items. The HHQ evaluates the frequency of fluid intake, type of drinks consumed, source of fluids, and perceived barriers to drinking. Questions are answered using either a 0-10 Likert scale (0 = never, 10 = always) or multiple-choice responses, with some items requiring explanation of the selected response. Higher scores indicate more frequent or better hydration behaviors. This measure evaluates whether children increase water consumption and adopt healthier hydration habits during the intervention.
Measured: Pre- and post-intervention over six weeks
Hydration status
determined as the percentage change in body weight before and after their PE lesson.
Measured: before and after their PE lesson during six weeks
Change in observed hydration behavior during school physical education sessions
Observed hydration behavior was assessed by trained research staff during physical education sessions. The assessment included recording the number of drinking occasions, volume of water consumed (mL), and appropriate use of water breaks. These structured observations were conducted weekly for each child to evaluate whether participation in the board game-based educational program leads to improved hydration practices in the school setting.
Measured: Pre- and post-intervention over six weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Oct 2025
- Study start1 Feb 2022
- Primary completion20 Mar 2022
- Study completion31 Mar 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Hydration StatusStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Cluster randomized controlled trial with classes assigned as clusters to either the board game educational intervention or the control group.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sana Kacem, The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07212309
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HydrationBoardGame2021
- Acronym
- HYDRAGAME
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 23 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 8 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of a Six-Week Board Game-Based Educational Intervention on Hydration Knowledge, Status, and Practices in Tunisian School Children
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07212309
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HYDRAGAME / HydrationBoardGame2021
- Conditions
- Hydration Status, Hydration Behavior, Water Intake
- Keywords
- hydration, hydration knowledge, water intake, Physical Education, Board Game Intervention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of SfaxUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Mar 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Mar 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study evaluated a six-week educational program designed to improve hydration knowledge, hydration status, and drinking practices in young school children in Tunisia. The intervention used an adapted "Snakes and Ladders" board game that delivers fun, age-appropriate messages about healthy fluid intake.
Two hundred forty first-grade students (ages 6-7 years) from two public primary schools were invited to participate during the 2021-2022 academic year. After obtaining parental consent, children were assigned by class to either an intervention group, which played the hydration board game once a week before their physical education (PE) lesson, or a control group, which continued usual activities.
Primary outcomes included hydration knowledge, hydration status (change in body mass before and after PE), perceived thirst, and the volume of water consumed during PE. Outcomes were measured before the program and again after six weeks. This randomized controlled trial sought to determine whether a playful, classroom-based board game can enhance children's understanding and daily practices related to proper hydration.
Detailed description
Adequate hydration is a critical determinant of children's physical health, cognitive functioning, and participation in daily school activities. Despite the well-documented benefits of maintaining optimal hydration, evidence consistently demonstrates that many school-aged children consume insufficient amounts of water during the school day. This inadequacy may compromise physical performance, learning capacity, and general well-being. Consequently, effective and engaging strategies are required to promote hydration-related knowledge and foster sustainable drinking behaviors in school settings.
This study employed a cluster-randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week board game-based educational intervention in enhancing hydration knowledge, hydration status, and fluid consumption among Tunisian primary school children. The intervention was conceived as an innovative, developmentally appropriate approach that integrates health education within a playful learning format.
Participating schools were randomly allocated at the class level to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention consisted of weekly sessions in which children played an adapted version of the traditional "Snakes and Ladders" board game. The game was modified to incorporate hydration-related messages: ladders symbolized appropriate hydration practices, while snakes represented missed opportunities to drink water. Each session lasted approximately 30 minutes and was conducted immediately prior to scheduled physical education lessons. Teachers facilitated gameplay, guided discussion, and reinforced key messages. Children assigned to the control group continued their usual educational activities without exposure to the intervention.
Primary outcomes focused on cognitive, behavioral, and physiological aspects of hydration. Specifically, researchers examined changes in children's hydration knowledge, hydration status during physical education, perceived thirst, and water intake across the intervention period. Baseline and post-intervention assessments were conducted to evaluate program impact.
By embedding health-related messages into a culturally adapted, game-based learning tool, this study seeks to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of playful education in fostering positive hydration behaviors. The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for innovative school-based health promotion strategies and may provide valuable insights for educators and public health practitioners aiming to enhance children's well-being through accessible, low-cost interventions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Cluster randomized controlled trial with classes assigned as clusters to either the board game educational intervention or the control group.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group - Board Game-Based Hydration Education | Experimental | Behavioral: Board Game-Based Hydration Education ProgramChildren in this group participate in a six-week educational program using board games designed to improve hydration knowledge, encourage healthy drinking behaviors, and monitor hydration status. Sessions are interactive, engaging, and integrated into school activities |
| Control Group - Usual School Activities | No intervention | –Children in this group continue their usual school routine without any additional educational program on hydration. They serve as a comparison to evaluate the effects of the intervention |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 to 7 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- First-grade students aged 6-7 years
- Normal BMI according to Cole criteria (2007)
- Parental consent provided
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Exempted from PE due to injury, allergy, or medical condition
- Absent during data collection
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Board Game-Based Hydration Education ProgramA six-week educational program delivered through board games, designed to improve hydration knowledge, practices, and status among school children. The program includes interactive sessions, quizzes, and games that teach the importance of adequate water intake. It is integrated into regular school activities and monitored for engagement and adherence. | Behavioural | Intervention Group - Board Game-Based Hydration Education |
Primary outcome
Change in hydration knowledge among school children
Time frame: From baseline to end of six-week intervention
Hydration knowledge was assessed using the Hydration Awareness Questionnaire (HAQ), a validated instrument designed to evaluate understanding of hydration concepts, acclimatization, and their importance for safe exercise. The HAQ consists of 15 items, each scored on a 0-10 Likert scale (0 = strongly disagree, 10 = strongly agree), for a total possible score of 0-150, with higher scores indicating greater hydration knowledge. The primary objective is to determine whether the board game-based educational intervention improves children's hydration knowledge relative to the control group.
3 secondary outcomes
Change in self-reported hydration habits among school children
Time frame: Pre- and post-intervention over six weeks
Hydration status
Time frame: before and after their PE lesson during six weeks
Change in observed hydration behavior during school physical education sessions
Time frame: Pre- and post-intervention over six weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Oct 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Board Game-Based Hydration Education Program in people with Hydration Status and Hydration Behavior, run by The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax at 1 site in Tunisia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Tunisia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in hydration knowledge among school children (time frame: From baseline to end of six-week intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Oct 2025.