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Silva-Santos T, Moreira P, Pinho O, Padrão P, Norton P, Gonçalves C. Salt-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior in an Intervention to Reduce Added Salt When Cooking in a Sample of Adults in Portugal. Foods 2022; 11:foods11070981. [PMID: 35407068 PMCID: PMC8997494 DOI: 10.3390/foods11070981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Excessive salt intake is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, so reducing it is critical. The main objective of this study was to verify whether one intervention to reduce added salt during cooking changed knowledge, attitudes and behavior (KAB) towards salt, and to analyze changes in the main sources of salt. (2) Methods: The intervention study was an 8-week randomized controlled trial with 97 workers from a public university. KAB in relation to salt were obtained through the WHO STEPwise questionnaire, and the main sources of salt were obtained by 24-h food recall and 24 h urinary sodium excretion over two days. (3) Results: After the intervention, participants in the intervention group reported a decrease in the addition of salt when cooking (p = 0.037), an increase in the percentage of subjects who avoided the consumption of processed foods (from 54.2% to 83.3%, p = 0.001), who looked for salt on food labels (from 18.8% to 39.6%, p = 0.013), and who bought low-salt food alternatives (from 43.8% to 60.4%, p = 0.039). However, there were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group at baseline and post-intervention assessments. In the intervention group, after the intervention, the added salt decreased by 5%; food sources of salt such as the snacks and pizza group decreased by 7%, and the meat, fish and eggs group increased by 4%, but without statistical significance. (4) Conclusions: With innovative equipment for dosing salt when cooking, it is possible to change some dimensions of consumer behavior in relation to salt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia Silva-Santos
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; (P.M.); (O.P.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- ITR—Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Institute of Public Health, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Pedro Moreira
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; (P.M.); (O.P.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- ITR—Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Institute of Public Health, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Olívia Pinho
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; (P.M.); (O.P.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- LAQV-REQUIMTE—Laboratory of Bromatology and Hydrology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 5000-801 Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Padrão
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; (P.M.); (O.P.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- ITR—Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Institute of Public Health, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Norton
- EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Occupational Health Service, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; (P.M.); (O.P.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- ITR—Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Institute of Public Health, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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Impact of an Innovative Equipment to Monitor and Control Salt Usage during Cooking at Home on Salt Intake and Blood Pressure-Randomized Controlled Trial iMC SALT. Nutrients 2021; 14:nu14010008. [PMID: 35010881 PMCID: PMC8746390 DOI: 10.3390/nu14010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Excessive salt consumption is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and it is essential to reduce it to the level recommended by the World Health Organization (<5 g/day). The main objective of this study is to verify the impact of an intervention, which used the Salt Control H equipment to reducing salt consumption; (2) Methods: The study was an 8-week randomized control trial with 114 workers from a public university. The intervention group (n = 57) used the equipment to monitor and control the use of salt during cooking (Salt Control H) at home for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was 24 h urinary sodium excretion as a proxy of salt intake. Secondary outcomes included changes in 24 h urinary potassium excretion, sodium to potassium ratio (Na:K), and blood pressure. (3) Results: There was a decrease in sodium intake after the intervention but with no statistical significance. When analyzing the results by sex and hypertension status, there was a reduction in sodium (-1009 (-1876 to -142), p = 0.025) and in Na:K ratio (-0.9 (-1.5 to -0.3), p = 0.007) in hypertensive men in the intervention group. (4) Conclusions: Interventions with dosage equipment can be valid approaches in individual salt reduction strategies, especially in hypertensive men.
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High Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Is Not Associated with an Improved Sodium and Potassium Intake. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13114151. [PMID: 34836406 PMCID: PMC8623388 DOI: 10.3390/nu13114151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention and control of hypertension and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases are associated with adequate sodium and potassium intake and adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern. The aim of this study was to assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) and the excretion of sodium and potassium as surrogate measures of intake. This is a cross-sectional analysis as part of a larger study (the iMC SALT randomized controlled trial) among workers of a public university. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the adherence to MD, using the alternative Mediterranean diet (aMED) score; sodium and potassium excretions were estimated by 24-h urine collections. Sociodemographic and other lifestyle characteristics were also obtained. The associations between the adherence to MD and Na and K excretion were calculated by logistic regression, adjusting for confounding variables. From the 109 selected participants, seven were excluded considering urine screening and completeness criteria, leaving a final sample of 102 subjects (48% male, average age 47 years). Mean sodium and potassium excretion were 3216 mg/day and 2646 mg/day, respectively. Sodium and potassium excretion were significantly higher in men, but no differences were found according to different levels of MD adherence. In logistic regression analysis, sodium, potassium, and sodium-to-potassium ratio urinary excretion tertiles were not associated with MD adherence (low/moderate versus high), even after adjustment for confounding variables. A high adherence to MD was thus not associated with a different level of sodium and potassium intake.
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