At the Healthy Eating Research 13th Annual Grantee Meeting, Dr. Angie Cradock will present recent research on drinking water quality in schools.
Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019
Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm
Track: Water Access and Quality in Schools and Community Centers
Location: Founders A
Early Adopters: Current Practices and Preliminary Findings in States Adopting School-Based Water Quality Testing Programs
Drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is an important strategy to prevent obesity. Discovery of elevated lead levels in tap water in Flint, MI, and subsequently in communities and schools around the U.S. led to the development of state-wide initiatives to test for lead in school tap water. Between January 2016 and February 2018 such initiatives became operational in 24 states and the District of Columbia. This study investigated the policies and programs underlying each state’s program. It analyzed available data to estimate the prevalence of elevated concentrations of lead in school tap water.Researchers coded all available state policy and program documents using a structured content analysis protocol to identify key features of the states’ protocols and procedures for implementing their state school drinking water lead testing program in comparison to federal guidance.
The research team found that many students in the U.S. attend schools where not all taps are tested for lead and one-half of states have no state-wide program to test for lead in school tap water. School-level prevalence estimates for elevated lead may be misestimated when schools do not test all taps. Current data collection and management do not optimize ability to assess the prevalence of lead in school drinking water in the U.S. or to inform policy and practice to protect children from potential exposure to lead in school drinking water. Findings may inform federal and state efforts to reduce the prevalence of lead in school and childcare drinking water.
Presenters
Angie Cradock, ScD, MPE
Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HPRC)
Christina Hecht, PhD
Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California
Date: Friday, March 15, 2019
Time: 8:30am-10:00am
Location: Venetian Ballroom
The Flint Water Crisis: Where Are We Now?
In 2014, Flint, Michigan changed its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a result of cost-cutting measures approved by the City Council and the State Treasurer. Soon after the switch, residents began to complain about the water’s appearance, smell, and taste. But, it took more than 18-months of resident complaints and illness reports, multiple boil-water advisories from the city and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, warnings from the EPA, lawsuits, and data from studies demonstrating elevated lead levels in children’s blood before the city switched back to Detroit water and a state of emergency was declared. Now, nearly 4 years later, the Flint population is still experiencing adverse health impacts. This panel will discuss the history and timeline of the Flint water crisis; lasting impacts on city residents’ health, including how pre-existing poor nutrition was exacerbated by the crisis; the impacts of this crisis on health disparities, health equity, and adverse childhood experiences; and reflect on the status of water safety nearly 4 years later. Finally, HER researchers will provide a national perspective looking at state-level
10 policies and programs to test for lead in school drinking water across the U.S. and highlight additional steps needed to move policy forward to ensure access to safe drinking water for all children.
Presenters
Angie Cradock, ScD, MPE
Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HPRC)
Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP
Pediatric Residency Program, Hurley Medical Center
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Amy Saxe-Custack, PhD, MPH, RD
Pediatric Public Health Initiative
Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources