High Sodium and Low Potassium Intake among Italian Children: Relationship with Age, Body Mass and Blood Pressure

Abstract

BackgroundHypertension is the leading cause of death in developed countries and reduction of salt intake is recommended as a key preventive measure.ObjectiveTo assess the dietary sodium and potassium intakes in a national sample of Italian children and adolescents and to examine their relationships with BMI and blood pressure (BP) in the framework of the MINISAL survey, a program supported by the Italian Ministry of Health.Population and MethodsThe study population included 1424 healthy subjects (766 boys, 658 girls) aged 6-18 years (mean age: 10.1±2.9) who were consecutively recruited in participating National Health Service centers in 10 Italian regions. Electrolyte intake was estimated from 24 hour urine collections tested for completeness by the concomitant measurement of creatinine content. Anthropometric indices and BP were measured with standardized procedures.ResultsThe average estimated sodium intake was 129 mmol (7.4 g of salt) per day among boys and 117 mmol (6.7 g of salt) among girls. Ninety-three percent of the boys and 89% of the girls had a consumption higher than the recommended age-specific standard dietary target. The estimated average daily potassium intakes were 39 mmol (1.53 g) and 36 mmol (1.40 g), respectively, over 96% of the boys and 98% of the girls having a potassium intake lower than the recommended adequate intake. The mean sodium/potassium ratio was similar among boys and girls (3.5 and 3.4, respectively) and over 3-fold greater than the desirable level. Sodium intake was directly related to age, body mass and BP in the whole population.ConclusionsThe Italian pediatric population is characterized by excessive sodium and deficient potassium intake. These data suggest that future campaigns should focus on children and adolescents as a major target in the framework of a population strategy of cardiovascular prevention.

Estimation of salt intake and excretion in children in one region of Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

“…In Portugal, a study conducted in 2014 among 163 children between 8 and 10 years of age who collected a 24h urine sample showed a salt intake of 6.6 g per day [35]. In Italy, a study included 1424 children between 6 and 18 years of age in Italy who collected a 24h urine sample and found a salt intake of 7.1 g per day [36]. In Austria, a study conducted in 2010-2012 among 392 boys and girls between 7 and 14 years of age with casual urinary spots showed a salt intake of 6.2 and 7.1 g per day, respectively [37].…”

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“…With respect to salt consumption, reliable estimates about the habitual salt intake in Italy have been made available by the MINISAL-GIRCSI study (a study conducted by the Interdisciplinary Working Group for Reduction of Salt Intake of the Ministry of Health) both for the adult population [15,16] and for children and adolescents [17], showing high average values in all age groups, even in hypertensive patients followed at specialised hypertension centres [18]. In particular, the MINISAL-GIRCSI study highlighted that sodium intake is more than recommended (i.e., >5 g or 85 mmol/day) in 97% of the men and 87% of the women in a country where the prevalence of hypertension is 53.7% in men and 40.3% in women (http://www.cuore.iss.it/fattori/CuoreData.asp).…”

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