TY - JOUR
T1 - The association of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to salt with 24-hour urinary sodium excretion
AU - Land, Mary
AU - Webster, Jacqui
AU - Christoforou, Anthea
AU - Johnson, Claire
AU - Trevena, Helen
AU - Hodgins, Frances
AU - Chalmers, John
AU - Woodward, Mark
AU - Barzi, Federica
AU - Smith, Wayne
AU - Flood, Victoria
AU - Jeffery, Paul
AU - Nowson, Caryl
AU - Neal, Bruce
PY - 2014/4/4
Y1 - 2014/4/4
N2 - Aim: Salt reduction efforts usually have a strong focus on consumer education. Understanding the association between salt consumption levels and knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards salt should provide insight into the likely effectiveness of education-based programs.Methods: A single 24-hour urine sample and a questionnaire describing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours was obtained from 306 randomly selected participants and 113 volunteers from a regional town in Australia.Results: Mean age of all participants was 55 years (range 20-88), 55% were women and mean 24-hour urinary salt excretion was 8.8(3.6) g/d. There was no difference in salt excretion between the randomly selected and volunteer sample. Virtually all participants (95%) identified that a diet high in salt can cause serious health problems with the majority of participants (81%) linking a high salt diet to raised blood pressure. There was no difference in salt excretion between those who did 8.7(2.1) g/d and did not 7.5(3.3) g/d identify that a diet high in salt causes high blood pressure (p = 0.1). Nor was there a difference between individuals who believed they consumed " too much" 8.9(3.3) g/d " just the right amount" 8.4(2.6) g/d or " too little salt" 9.1(3.7) g/d (p = 0.2). Likewise, individuals who indicated that lowering their salt intake was important 8.5(2.9) g/d vs. not important 8.8(2.4) g/d did not have different consumption levels (p = 0.4).Conclusion: The absence of a clear association between knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards salt and actual salt consumption suggests that interventions focused on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours alone may be of limited efficacy.
AB - Aim: Salt reduction efforts usually have a strong focus on consumer education. Understanding the association between salt consumption levels and knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards salt should provide insight into the likely effectiveness of education-based programs.Methods: A single 24-hour urine sample and a questionnaire describing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours was obtained from 306 randomly selected participants and 113 volunteers from a regional town in Australia.Results: Mean age of all participants was 55 years (range 20-88), 55% were women and mean 24-hour urinary salt excretion was 8.8(3.6) g/d. There was no difference in salt excretion between the randomly selected and volunteer sample. Virtually all participants (95%) identified that a diet high in salt can cause serious health problems with the majority of participants (81%) linking a high salt diet to raised blood pressure. There was no difference in salt excretion between those who did 8.7(2.1) g/d and did not 7.5(3.3) g/d identify that a diet high in salt causes high blood pressure (p = 0.1). Nor was there a difference between individuals who believed they consumed " too much" 8.9(3.3) g/d " just the right amount" 8.4(2.6) g/d or " too little salt" 9.1(3.7) g/d (p = 0.2). Likewise, individuals who indicated that lowering their salt intake was important 8.5(2.9) g/d vs. not important 8.8(2.4) g/d did not have different consumption levels (p = 0.4).Conclusion: The absence of a clear association between knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards salt and actual salt consumption suggests that interventions focused on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours alone may be of limited efficacy.
KW - Attitude
KW - Behaviour
KW - Knowledge
KW - Salt
KW - Urinary sodium excretion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898023480&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1479-5868-11-47
DO - 10.1186/1479-5868-11-47
M3 - Article
VL - 11
JO - International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
JF - International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
SN - 1479-5868
IS - 47
M1 - 47
ER -