Six-Week Board Game Intervention to Improve Hydration 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.