Special Interview with IJVNR Authors Prof. Yifei Hu's Team: Exploration and Prospects in Water Intake Behavior Research
14 October 2025
Recently, an article titled "Research Advances in Hydration Status and Kidney, Liver, and Cardiovascular Health, and Tailored Water Intake Recommendations for Chinese Children" has been published in International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research (IJVNR), garnered considerable interest from our readership. This achievement not only reflects the academic community’s growing emphasis on hydration health but has also sparked discussions among the general population regarding healthy lifestyle practices for children. To further explore this topic, we invited Professor Yifei Hu, the corresponding author of the article, and the first author Dr. Menglong Li, for an in-depth interview. The discussion centered on the motivation behind the research, key findings, and its public health implications, seeking to provide readers with insights into cutting-edge developments in this field through thoughtful dialogue.
Prof. Yifei Hu
Professor Hu is a faculty member and doctoral supervisor at the School of Public Health, Capital Medical University. She serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Chinese School Doctors and Vice Chair of the Drinking Water and Health Branch Committee of the Chinese Nutrition Society. She is also an editorial board member of the 9th edition of text book,Child and Adolescent Health(People’s Health Press), Deputy Chief Editor of its digital version, and Chief Editor of the Grade 1 national compulsory textbook Physical Education and Health (People’s Education Press). Professor Hu’s research focuses on child and adolescent health, infectious disease and wastewater epidemiology, and disease burden. She has funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and provincial-level grants, and has published extensively in leading international journals including AJG, J Hepatol, ES&T, and JAHA. She has also contributed to several studies in The Lancet series. She received the AJG Top Reviewer Award (2024,2025) and currently serves as a committee member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
Dr. Menglong Li
Menglong Li, PhD in Epidemiology and Health Statistics, is a Youth Editorial Board Member of IJVNR. He received all his degrees from the School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, with research focusing on chronic disease epidemiology and disease burden. He has published over 10 SCI papers (cumulative IF 146.6), co-authored one industry guideline, published a monograph, and holds three patents.
1. Could you briefly introduce your research team? What prompted you to start focusing on the topic of "children's water intake behavior"? Are there any compelling narratives behind this research direction?
Prof. Hu:
Thank you for your interest. With the support of colleagues and professors at the Peking University School of Public Health, our team began research in drinking water and health. To date, several of our master’s and doctoral students have graduated, and current students are also making significant contributions in this field.
Our initial focus was on children’s sedentary behavior and other health-related habits. However, during a conference on drinking water and health, we analyzed follow-up data and discovered that children’s hydration status is closely associated with kidney function, blood glucose regulation, and other metabolic indicators. We found that good hydration habits can significantly reduce health risks. This discovery led us to publish a series of papers and expand our research into dietary patterns, sodium and potassium intake, and physical activity, which further confirmed that hydration is strongly linked to multiple metabolic and organ functions.
In recent years, we have come to realize that adequate hydration is not only crucial for children but has also been internationally recognized as a first-line measure in the prevention of diabetes and cancer. Unfortunately, awareness of this is still relatively limited in China, especially in pediatrics and public health. Through our work, we hope to raise greater attention among scholars and the public to the importance of children's water intake behavior and its long-term health implications.
2. In your article, you mentioned that Chinese children generally face insufficient water intake. What do you think are the key social or environmental factors behind this phenomenon?
Prof. Hu:
The problem of insufficient water intake among children mainly stems from two factors. First, lifestyle changes: heavy schoolwork and time spent on electronic devices mean that children rarely feel thirsty or think about drinking water. Second, school environments: large class sizes and limited restroom facilities discourage frequent drinking. As a result, many children finish the day without even drinking half of a small water bottle.
Dr. Li:
Another factor is the convenience and taste of drinking water. In school, I could easily access bottled water in the lab and drank more. At work, hospital dispensers are farther away and the water doesn’t taste as good, so I drink less. In the primary schools we surveyed, drinking facilities were often in hallways and shared by many classes, which also reduced convenience and children’s willingness to drink.
3. Water intake behavior does seem to be an underestimated factor in public health. Beyond children, what impacts or health risks do you think poor daily drinking habits might have on other groups, such as office staff under high work pressure?
Prof. Hu:
Poor drinking habits are harmful for adults, especially stressed office workers. Many rely on coffee instead of water, leaving their daily intake far too low. Chronic under-hydration is linked to obesity, fatty liver, larger waistlines, and an increased risk for chronic diseases. Since water makes up 60–70% of body weight, drinking enough water helps to flush waste, reduce stress and inflammation, and protect health. Without it, waste builds up, harming digestion, immunity, and increasing the risk for diseases.
Dr. Li:
Most studies link drinking to single diseases, but less is known about its impact on complex conditions like the metabolic syndrome or heart and kidney diseases. The 2022 Science paper of “water turnover” showed that people with the lowest levels had much higher cardiovascular mortality. This suggests poor hydration may raise long-term heart risks, especially for office workers, and highlights the need to study its ties with sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
4. The interactions between water intake behavior and factors such as sleep, exercise, and nutrition have attracted much attention. Could you share your views on this?
Prof. Hu:
Drinking is closely linked to sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Our studies show that poor hydration, reflected in urine markers, can strain children’s kidneys during exercise, while good hydration protects kidney function even under high intensity. Diet patterns like the Mediterranean diet are also positively related to healthy drinking habits. We believe adequate hydration should be seen as a core part of a healthy lifestyle, equally important as sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
Dr. Li:
My doctoral research also explored the links between drinking water, sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Water comes not only from drinks but also from food moisture and internal body sources, all of which contribute to total intake. Timely hydration before and after exercise reduces stress on the body, while sleep affects water balance through hormonal rhythms. Thus, drinking water is closely connected with sleep, exercise, and nutrition, all of which are essential for good health.
5. Beyond water intake behavior, we also noticed that you have conducted extensive research on other aspects of child health, such as obesity and sleep. Could you tell us which directions you think are currently, or will become, popular research topics in the future?
Prof. Hu:
In children's health research, formation of early habits is key. Good hydration, sleep, and diet habits established in childhood can significantly shape their future. We need to emphasize drinking plain water over sugary or functional drinks, since most children don't need extra supplements. We plan to conduct intervention studies to explore how proper hydration can improve children's body composition and organ functions, highlighting its role in chronic disease prevention and promoting good health.
6. What advice would you give to early-career scholars, especially those focusing on public health?
Prof. Hu:
From my perspective, I’m hardly in a position to offer advice—but I can share what I’ve learned.
Research thrives on curiosity. Some of the best findings happen by chance. In our work on target organ health risks during adolescence, we accidentally discovered a link between hydration and metabolic issues in children—which opened a new research path. Stay open to the unexpected.
Don’t overthink—just begin. “Just do it” applies here too. Start doing, keep reading, think critically, and collaborate well—you’ll find opportunities along the way.
Lastly, don’t just follow trends. Pursue what genuinely interests you. While many have studied obesity through weight or BMI, we looked at heart and vascular changes—and found new insights. Original questions lead to meaningful science.
Dr. Li:
I feel fortunate to have joined Professor Hu’s team and participated in a well-designed children’s cohort study. I strongly agree with Professor Hu’s philosophy of “start doing first”—once you act, you naturally discover interests along the way, and through reading and reflection, continue to generate new ideas.
Under Professor Hu’s comprehensive research training, I have gained solid skills and applied what I learned to practical research. I believe that as long as you dare to begin, you can uncover meaningful questions worth exploring in any field and strive for excellence.
Prof. Hu added:
Research requires sustained, systematic effort to gain experience and achieve breakthroughs.
Engaging in the entire process—from data collection to publication—fosters a genuine understanding of the study and helps identify meaningful questions, going beyond secondary analysis of existing databases.
Such hands-on experience not only strengthens interest but also develops critical insight into the research process, which is essential for public health researchers.
7. When choosing a journal for submission, which factors do you pay the most attention to (e.g., impact, review speed, OA policy)? In your opinion, what unique strengths does our journal have that can attract researchers?
Prof. Hu:
When selecting a journal, we focus on flexible policies, quick peer review, article impact, and reasonable costs. Fast publication processes are also crucial for timely sharing of findings.
IMR Press stands out with its professionalism and additional Chinese-language promotion for published articles. This enhances reader interest and author recognition. It’s especially valuable for our team, as we seldom have time for self-promotion. The journal's efforts effectively boost our article's influence. For instance, when we published an article, the journal provided a Chinese promotional draft, saving us from the writing effort. This approach allows scholars to focus on research while ensuring wider visibility, which is a key advantage of IJVNR.
Dr. Li:
A journal's influence stems from two main factors: partnerships with academic bodies like your collaboration with the Chinese Nutrition Society, which offers academic credibility, and the quality and diversity of its publications. IJVNR supports both large and small research teams, boosting innovation and diversity.
Also, fast peer review is vital. IJVNR stands out with its user-friendly submission interface, quick responses, and supportive editorial team, making the whole process efficient and positive.
This interview not only systematically revisits the research journey and collaborative experience behind an outstanding paper but also highlights the mutual value created through constructive interaction between scholars and journals. We also hope that, through our journal, more high-quality research can be highlighted and promoted, contributing to meaningful dialogue at the forefront of nutritional science.
Article details: Research Advances in Hydration Status and Kidney, Liver, and Cardiovascular Health, and Tailored Water Intake Recommendations for Chinese Children