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Aim Temasek Polytechnic conducted a survey in cooperation with the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC) to gather information on fluid consumption among the Singapore population and raise awareness about the dangers of dehydration and the importance of drinking adequate daily amounts of fluid. Overall the survey found that Singaporeans need to drink more liquids.
Key Findings
People do not drink enough.
The survey found that on average, Singaporean males drink 1.5 litres of fluids a day, while females drink 1.6 litres daily. Younger men and women (aged between 15-24) drink the least amount of fluid, averaging only 1.4 litres a day each. Males aged 25-34 and older women aged 55-64 years are the only groups surveyed which drank the recommended target of two litres a day.People do not drink regularly.
When asked reasons for not drinking enough, apart from not feeling thirsty,
nearly a quarter (20%) of those surveyed said they actually forget to drink, 5%
said it was too hard to find something to drink, while 3% said they didn?t want
to use the bathroom frequently.Most people rely only on thirst to drink.
Around three-quarters (70%) of Singaporeans only drink when thirsty. Thirst,
however, is a sign that the body is already slightly dehydrated. Regular amounts
of fluids need to be consumed throughout the day to keep body fluid levels
healthy.People do not have healthy drinking habits.
Although most respondents understood what the adequate levels of daily fluid
intake should be, they do not follow this with their drinking habits. Just under
half of respondents (45%) felt that 5-8 glasses of liquid should be consumed for
good health, while over a third (35%) thought 8-10 glasses of liquid
appropriate. Actually, at least eight glasses (approximately two litres) is recommended daily.
People do not exercise enough and do not drink enough when they do exercise. Sixty per cent of Singaporeans are not exercising regularly. When exercising, more fluid needs to be consumed. The survey found that the 40% of men who exercise actually drink less (six glasses a day) than the 60% who don?t do any exercise at all (eight glasses). The body loses more fluid during exercise, which needs to be quickly replaced to prevent dehydration.People know about the importance of fluid.
Even though most Singaporeans don?t drink enough fluid they understand the
health risks associated with this, ranging from bad breath (4%), constipation
(7%) to sickness (33%). Nearly all of the respondents (90%) were aware that a
person could survive for only a few days without fluid. Up to three-quarters of
the human body is composed of water. Of the respondents, 30% of men and 39% of
women did not know this.People obtain fluids from different sources.
The survey found that Singaporeans ranked water (74%) as first choice, while tea
and coffee (32%) and carbonated soft drinks (17%) were next most popular
beverage choices.
Fruits and desserts are popular fluid supplements. Singaporeans currently supplement their fluid intake with fruit and desserts, of which males eat the most. Of the desserts, ice kachang is the most popular, followed by chendol and ice jelly. Although apples were the most popular fruit, oranges (17%) and watermelons (12%) were also commonly taken, both of which contain high levels of fluid.Most people get their fluids from home.
Over half (56%) of respondents named their home as the top place to obtain
fluids. This was followed by the office (13%) and hawker centres (9%).
Methodology
The survey results are based on responses from 400 interviews conducted among three different ethnic groups, which make up Singapore?s population. The survey was carried out in October 1998.
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