Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the bottled water consumption attitudes of students in a boarding school.
Methods: This descriptive study was performed on juniors in a boarding school, and a total of 85 participants were included. A questionaire developed by the authors was applied to participants, and results were analyzed using SPSS 15.0.
Results: Almost all of the participants (98%, n=84) were using bottled waters with a volume of 1,500 ml during daily activities, and 88% of them declared that they had been using bottled waters for three years. According to their statements, they prefer bottled water. 37% believe that bottled waters are healthier than tap water, and 69% stated that bottled water is easily available. A big portion of participants (74%) did not drink tap water because they believe that tap water is dirty. Most of them did not use a glass while drinking bottled water and drank directly from the bottle.
Significance: This study showed that bottled waters were prefered by students mainly because of their belief that bottled waters were healthier, and because of the practicality of usage. Participants did not prefer tap water, because they did not believe that it is hygienic.