Evaluation of a Mass-Media Campaign to Increase the Awareness of the Need to Reduce Discretionary Salt Use in the South African Population

Abstract

The South African strategic plan to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes reducing population salt intake to less than 5 g/day. A mass media campaign was undertaken to increase public awareness of the association between high salt intake, blood pressure and CVD, and focused on the reduction of discretionary salt intake. Community based surveys, before and after the campaign, were conducted in a cohort of black women aged 18–55 years. Questions on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding salt use were asked. Current interest in engaging with salt reduction behaviors was assessed using the “stage of change” model. Five hundred fifty women participated in the baseline study and 477 in the follow-up survey. Most of the indicators of knowledge, attitudes and behavior change show a significant move towards considering and initiating reduced salt consumption. Post intervention, significantly more participants reported that they were taking steps to control salt intake (38% increased to 59.5%, p < 0.0001). In particular, adding salt while cooking and at the table occurred significantly less frequently. The findings suggest that mass media campaigns may be an effective tool to use as part of a strategy to reduce discretionary consumption of salt among the population along with other methods.

The Impact of Community-based Health Education to Improve Quality of Nursing Services for People with Hypertension : A Literature Review

“…Advertisement in Indonesia deliver more about foods. This is similar to other countries, like what have been presented by Wentzel-Viljoen et al (2017) [19]. Result of the study proves a significant relationship significant relationship between changing stage for salt consumption and diet behaviour which is reported with sodium urin exertion [18] which become our basis to campaign salt consumption limitation through radios and televisions, both local and national ones.…”

“…By the increasing health demands in the community related to catastrophic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases as the main cause of death which are caused by hypertension, so that health services need to make some efforts to accomplish the demand. In order to prevent and manage hypertension, this systematic review shows that health services and nursing quality improvement through community-based education could improve self-awareness towards necessity to reduce salt consumption [19], improve volunteers knowledge which allows them to facilitate and manage a meeting with the community for hypertension prevention efforts implementation [1], directly control and reduce blood pressure and overweight/obesity prevalence [2], [5], and could apply multicomponent, multilevel, financially efficient collaboration in concurrently improve prevention, detection and management behaviours of hypertension [8].…”

“…This is the reason for necessity of campaign in mass media to change community habits of salt consumption. This campaign aims to limit the habit of adding salt and monosodium glutamate-based flavoring when cooking as well as change a habit of providing table salt when eating and encourage the usage of herbs spices more in cooking [16], [17], [19].…”

“…Campaign intervention by advertisement in radio and television significantly help improving knowledge, attitude or belief and behaviour change in population levels to determine step for considering and starting to limit salt consumption [20]. Movement that the community did in order to participate in salt consumption limitation implemented by reducing additional salt and monosodium glutamate-based flavoring for cooking and changing their habit on placing table salt when eating, while the use of herbs and spices for cooking is significantly higher [16], [17], [19]. Besides, campaign could help the community suppress their habit to consume processed foods and beverages such as soda, sauces, dressing and cooking spices, sweet and savory snacks [13], [19].…”

“…Knowledgeable community after exposed by mass media campaign about salt limitation shows good health outcomes or not experiencing hypertension [19]. After exposed by campaign activity [20], 75.5% people with hypertension can explain that high consumption of salt is adversing healthiness and linked to hypertension diseases (75%).…”