Dietary salt consumption and the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of healthy adults: a cross-sectional study from Jordan

Abstract

High dietary sodium is recognized as a silent killer responsible for 2.3 million deaths worldwide in 2010 predominantly secondary to hypertension and its complications. Although high salt consumption is considered a worldwide public health problem, its magnitude is highly variable among different communities; therefore, it is important to study locally. This study aimed to evaluate habitual salt consumption, its important correlations, as well as the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of healthy Jordanian citizens. As potassium consumption is highly correlated and important we aimed to study both jointly. In this descriptive cross-sectional study we enrolled 103 healthy adult Jordanian citizens. All participants were interviewed for questionnaire filling, physical examination, and instructed on proper 24-hour urine collection procedure. We measured sodium and potassium concentration in the provided controlled 24-hour urine collection samples, as it is presently considered the gold standard for evaluating daily intake. The results showed an average sodium intake of 179 mmol (4.1 g) per day [higher in males at 186 mmol (4.3 g) vs. 173 mmol (4.0 g) for females], significantly above the current WHO recommendations, though only 8% regularly add salt to food. Ironically, most participants (82%) believe their salt consumption was appropriate and only 29% thought they may benefit from reducing salt intake. On the other hand, potassium intake is far below the current WHO recommendations. High sodium and low potassium intake have synergistic adverse effects on public health that is not currently addressed in Jordan. We conclude that Jordanian citizens currently consume high sodium and low potassium diet and are mostly unaware of its negative impact on their health. Hence, it is crucial for healthcare providers to intervene and adopt long-term strategies to control salt intake to reduce its negative effects in Jordan and elsewhere.

Assessment of Sodium Knowledge and Urinary Sodium Excretion among Regions of the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Similar findings were noted in a Jordan study using 24-h urinary sodium excretion, which showed that the average sodium intake was 4100 mg/day (10.4 g/day salt) and sodium intake was higher in males, 4300 mg, compared with 4000 mg by females. It was clear that the Jordanian participants consumed at least double the current WHO recommended daily sodium amount of 2000 mg (5 g salt) [27]. Likewise, a study conducted in Oman using the National Nutrition Survey based on a 24-h dietary recall noted the average intake of salt to be 11-12 g/day [28], again significantly higher than the WHO recommendation.…”

The effect of education based on health belief model on promoting preventive behaviors of hypertensive disease in staff of the Iran University of Medical Sciences

“…The prevalence of hypertension is still increasing in most parts of the world. It is estimated that this disease is growing in developing countries [ 8 , 9 ], especially Asia and the Middle East, mainly due to lifestyle, especially high-calorie diets, and the use of ready-made and salty foods [ 10 , 11 ]. According to Etaat et al, the study conducted in 2020, the leading cause of high blood pressure in Iran is obesity and high waist size [ 12 ].…”

Knowledge and Practices Related to Salt Intake among Saudi Adults

“…Other factors such as sex and awareness of the health consequences of excessive intake of sodium are also linked to excessive sodium intake [ 14 ]. Limited awareness of the health consequences of excessive sodium intake has been reported in a number of populations [ 2 , 15 ].…”