(P02-047-23) Tap Water Perceptions and Water Filter Use in Relation to Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in University Students

Objectives: Tap water safety perceptions may contribute to disparities in water and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in the US, but perceptions of young adults and mitigating influence of water filter use are unclear. Thus, we evaluate university students’ perceptions of tap water safety and water filter behaviors, and the effect on water and SSB intake.

Methods: Students (n=793) at a large, pubic Midwestern university in the United States completed an online survey in Fall 2021 detailing water safety perceptions, water filter use, and beverage consumption frequency. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate differences in water perceptions and behaviors by student sociodemographic characteristics. Differences in mean beverage intake for each water perception/behavior were calculated using two-sided t-tests. Associations between water perceptions and behaviors and beverage intake were assessed using multivariate logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic variables.

Results: Students who experienced food insecurity, students on a Pell grant, first generation college students, and students from racial/ethnic minority groups were less likely to trust tap water safety. Students who did not agree with the statement “my local tap water is safe to drink,” were less likely to drink ≥3 cups of total water per day (OR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.64), less likely to drink tap water ≥3 times/day (OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.65), and more likely to drink bottled water ≥1 time per day (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.69) compared to students who agreed their tap water was safe to drink. Students who always or sometimes filtered their tap water were less likely to drink ≥3 cups of total water per day (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.85) than students who never filtered their tap water. Water safety attitudes and water filtration behavior were not significant predictors of SSB intake.

Conclusions: Tap water perceptions and behaviors affect tap and bottled water intake among university students. These findings provide important context for university programming promoting healthy beverage initiatives.

Funding Sources: The University of Michigan Office of Research (MS and CL), and the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (JW).