Abstract
Background: Salt intakes in Latin America currently double the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5 g/day. Various strategies to reduce the population’s salt consumption, such as raising awareness using social marketing, have been recommended. This study identified parents’ perceptions of salt consumption to inform a social marketing strategy focused on urban areas in Peru. Methods: Using a sequential exploratory methods design, parents of pre-school children, of high and low socioeconomic status, provided qualitative data in the form of interviews and focus groups. Following this, quantitative data was obtained via questionnaires, which were sent to all parents. The information was analyzed jointly. Results: 296 people (mean age 35.4, 82% women) participated, 64 in the qualitative and 232 in the quantitative phase of the study. Qualitative data from the first phase revealed that the majority of mothers were in charge of cooking, and female participants expressed that cooking was “their duty” as housewives. The qualitative phase also revealed that despite the majority of the participants considered their salt intake as adequate, half of them mentioned that they have tried to reduce salt consumption, and the change in the flavor of the food was stated as the most difficult challenge to continue with such practice. Quantitative data showed that 67% of participants would be willing to reduce their salt intake, and 79.7% recognized that high salt intake causes hypertension. In total, 84% of participants reaffirmed that mothers were in charge of cooking. There were no salient differences in terms of responses provided by participants from high versus low socioeconomic groups. Conclusions: The results point towards the identification of women as a potential target-audience of a social marketing strategy to promote reductions in salt intake in their families and, therefore, a gender-responsive social marketing intervention is recommended.
Highlights
This study aimed to explore barriers and motivators that influence behavior change in order to inform the design of a social marketing strategy tailored to promote the reduction of salt consumption
Our study shows that parents are interested in the health and welfare of their families; changes in salt consumption represent more than a health issue, as they are linked to taste and food preferences
To achieve a reduction in salt consumption, it is not enough to carry out dietary recommendations or educational campaigns alone
Summary
Hypertension is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and disability worldwide [1]. Hypertension prevalence is 44.0%, with the highest rates in Brazil (52.5%) [2]. High salt intake is associated with hypertension, a chronic condition that causes millions of early deaths in the world [3,4]. Studies showed that 10% reduction of salt at the population level can Nutrients 2020, 12, 176; doi:10.3390/nu12010176 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. Salt intakes in Latin America currently double the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5 g/day. Various strategies to reduce the population’s salt consumption, such as raising awareness using social marketing, have been recommended. Perceptions of salt consumption to inform a social marketing strategy focused on urban areas in Peru
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
