Is healthy hydration a family habit?

Are parents’ drinking behaviors related to their children’s water drinking habits?

To explore this question, Danone Research & Innovation (R&I), in collaboration with leading academic partners — including California Polytechnic State University, Arizona State University, Yale School of Medicine, and University of Arkansas — conducted a cross-sectional study.¹ “What we found is simple: healthy hydration habits may start early, and at home! Our results suggest parents may play a key role by leading through example,” notes Juliane Zemdegs, Senior Scientific Affairs Manager at Danone R&I.

Over the weekend, scientists tracked food and beverage intake in 729 parent-child pairs (children aged 3–13) from Northwest Arkansas and Phoenix, Arizona. Families also provided 24-hour urine samples so hydration status could be assessed.

According to Juliane: “Past research shows that approximately 60% of children worldwide don’t drink enough water², and more than half have at least one sugary drink every day! Such habits can lead to health problems in the long run. Our new study has helped reveal important factors that shape children’s hydration behaviors.”

These findings underscore the potential role of parents in shaping their children’s hydration habits, supporting the need for family-centred educational programs — an approach aligned with Danone R&I’s mission to advance science-based health solutions.

“Looking ahead, we see two clear priorities for future research: giving parents practical, evidence-based tools to support family healthy hydration, and define, robust, science-backed hydration reference values for children to better guide public health strategies,” Juliane concludes.

Juliane Zemdegs is a Senior Scientific Affairs Manager at Danone Research & Innovation. She holds a PhD in Human Nutrition Physiology and has co‑authored multiple peer‑reviewed publications. She leads strategic scientific narratives across Danone’s global water brands, collaborates with academic partners to advance hydration science across all life stages and is dedicated to raising public awareness about the importance of healthy hydration.

1. Adam D. Seal, HyunGyu Suh, Holly Emmanuel, Abigail T. Colburn, LynnDee Summers, Jeanne Bottin, Juliane Zemdegs, Tiphaine Vanhaecke, Andy Mauromoustakos, Stavros A. Kavouras. Hydration and Water Intake Among Children and Parents (2026) J Nutr 101643; doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101643

2. Jean-Pierre Chouraqui (2023) Children’s water intake and hydration: a public health issue, Nutr Rev 81:610–624; doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac073