Salt and Health: public awareness, attitudes, and practices in Sri Lanka to inform a behaviour change communication campaign to reduce dietary salt

Abstract

Introduction: Sri Lankan citizens consume almost double the recommended daily amount of salt.Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to health effects of dietary salt among adults and adolescents in Sri Lanka to inform a national behaviour change communication campaign Methods: We conducted a descriptive household survey among adults (n=1016) and adolescents (n=505) in 10 districts. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The approximate amount of dietary salt intake of the individuals was estimated based on household purchases. Results:The recommended salt limit was identified by 40% of the population. Majority of adults (90.8%) and adolescents (86.1%) knew the adverse health effects of high salt intake. Although household monthly purchase of salt indicated consumption is much higher than recommended, 48.3% of adults and 45.9% of adolescents believed they consume the right amount of salt. Discretionary salt added to home cooking was a major contributor to intake, while consumption of processed food was also high. For health-related information, most preferred media is television (adults: 72%, adolescents: 69%). Conclusions & Recommendations:The study identified gaps as well as strengths of Sri Lankan's knowledge, attitudes and practices on salt consumption and health. Study recommends a communication campaign that include specific messaging to address gaps and leveraging on strengths. The survey identified adult females to be a key target group for the campaign and television as the best mode of message delivery.