Table 2

General practitioners’ knowledge of hydration and patient care before and after the training session

Question	Response options	Pre		Post
Question	Response options	n=59	Per cent	n=54	Per cent
Some physical signs of dehydration may include	Dry mucous membranes	0	0	0	0
	Headaches	0	0	0	0
	Increased pulse rate	0	0	0	0
	All of the above	59	100	54	100
What is the proposed definition of dehydration?	Loss of water from the body in excess of the amount consumed	28	48	49	91
	≥10% loss of body mass (assuming that there is no weight loss because of negative energy balance) due to fluid loss	31	53	5	9
	When someone feels thirsty, has a dry mouth and has pitting oedema	0	0	0	0
	Excessive addition of body water with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes	0	0	0	0
Water forms how much of an adult person's body weight?	30–40%	2	3	1	2
	40–50%	4	7	0	0
	50–60%	16	27	44	82
	70–80%	37	63	9	17
Mild-to-moderate dehydration can impair performance on tasks such as:	Short-term memory	0	0	0	0
	Arithmetic ability	0	0	0	0
	Psychomotor skills	0	0	0	0
	All of the above	59	100	54	100
As recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), total daily water for adult men is accepted as _____ litres?	1.5 L	5	9	0	0
	2.0 L	23	39	9	17
	2.5 L	18	31	42	78
	3.0 L	12	20	3	6
In general, does the average older person have a similar water requirement to that of a 30-year-old?	Yes, if the older person is active and healthy	34	58	42	78
	Yes, if the older person is inactive and unhealthy	0	0	0	0
	No, if the older person is active and healthy	13	22	6	11
	No, if the older person is inactive and unhealthy	11	19	6	11
Recommended adequate intake of fluid for an adult refers to:	Drinking water	7	12	3	6
	Drinking water plus beverages (ie, tea, coffee, juice)	14	24	17	32
	Drinking water plus food moisture (ie, soup, fruit, vegetables)	7	12	2	4
	Drinking water plus beverages plus food moisture	31	53	32	59
Water can be found in food and drinks. On average, what is the proportion of water in food and drinks consumed by UK adults?	10% Food:90% Drink	2	3	1	2
	20% Food:80% Drink	18	31	45	83
	30% Food:70% Drink	22	37	4	7
	40% Food:60% Drink	17	29	4	7