PS-P09-2: ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND PRACTICES OF SALT INTAKE AMONG URBAN POPULATION

Abstract

Objective: The prevalence of hypertension has been rising drastically in all populations. The dietary habits which have become unhealthy in past few decades contribute to this global health threat. The rise in salt intake has been seen consistently in many populations, especially from hidden sources. The goal of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of urban populations, regarding dietary salt intake. Designs and Methods: A standardised questionnaire was used to perform a cross sectional survey among a representative sample of 500 persons aged 18 to 69 years in 2021. The questionnaire used for assessing the salt intake is a closed questionnaire and has been previously used in a similar setting and has been validated. It is a likert scale questionnaire with maximum 48 points possible. Results: The majority of them ate processed foods, and only a few read food labels before buying groceries. Most participants (64%) despite consuming processed foods, felt that they consumed the right amount of salt. Most participants were not aware of all foods which are categorized as processed foods. Only 26% of participants felt that excess salt intake could result in deleterious effects on health. The majority of participants (60%) believe that reducing salt in the diet is unimportant. Most participants added salt (98.8%) while cooking meals. Most participants (76%) ranked poorly on the salt intake scale and only 13% ranked well on it. The practices of salt intake showed the worst scores among awareness and attitudes. Conclusion: Overall awareness of dietary salt intake in their diet was quite low among urban residents. The practices of the participants reflected high salt intake with poor attitudes. There is a need for introducing awareness campaigns to sensitize people towards sources of sodium, calculating salt intake and recommended allowances for salt intake.