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RACIAL DESCREPANCIES OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS BASED ON FLUID CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH MEASURES DURING THE WORKDAY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous data from our lab suggests that elementary school teachers consume inadequate amounts of fluid because of their limited restroom access. Inadequate fluid intake can promote renal and cardiovascular issues associated with chronic dehydration. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are fluid consumption and health discrepancies between elementary school teachers when stratified by race. METHODS: 29 elementary school teachers were stratified into two groups based on race (15 white and 14 non-white) (age 34 ± 8.9). Pre- and post-school day anthropometrics and vitals were conducted and heart rate (HR) measurement via Polar® H10 monitor was collected through the school day. Fluid consumption during the workday was self-reported. Urine samples were collected pre and post for analysis of urine-specific gravity (USG), creatinine, and lipocalin-2 concentrations. Data was analyzed using paired samples t-test for time within groups (pre-post) and independent t-test for between groups at an α of p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The non-white systolic blood pressure (SBP) (118±14 mmHg) was significantly higher than the white SBP (108±10 mmHg) at both pre and post measurements (p=0.0347), while the age and body fat% discrepancy between different races was nonsignificant. Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) was significantly greater in the non-white teachers (93±10 mmHg) than in the white teachers (85±9 mmHg) (p=0.037). No other racial discrepancies were found. The average HR throughout the workday was 90±8.9bpm, and they reached a max HR of 69.5±.05% of their calculated HR max. Pre-creatinine levels were significantly higher (216.8±117.4 mg/dL) for all teachers than post-creatinine levels (164.2±94.4 mg/dL) (p=0.024). The differences between USG and Lipocalin-2 levels throughout the workday were insignificant. CONCLUSION: These results provide a characterization of fluid consumption habits and health measures between white and non-white teachers. Only SBP is affected by one’s race independent of age and BF% in this population. Creatinine levels decreased for all teachers despite low fluid consumption throughout the day. More research is needed in this population to determine the relative risk of renal and cardiovascular health issues.

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