Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Dietary Sodium in College Students

Determinants of sodium intake knowledge and attitude: a cross-national analysis of socio-economic and health factors

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis across nations to: (1) identify the determinants influencing knowledge and attitudes related to sodium (Na) intake and (2) to analyse the association between knowledge and attitudes related to Na intake.

DESIGN

We utilised a secondary data from a cross-sectional study that was conducted across seven nations. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to assess the impact of socio-economic and health-related predictors on knowledge and attitudes pertaining to Na intake and further to investigate the relationship between knowledge and attitude.

SETTING

Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, France, the UK and the USA.

PARTICIPANTS

7090 participants aged 15 years and above were included in the study.

RESULTS

SEM analysis showed a strong association between knowledge about Na intake and related attitude across all countries, particularly in the UK (2·65, 95 % CI 1·48-3·82), France (2·62, 1·45-3·79) and the USA (1·97, 1·21-2·73). In Brazil, Japan and France, individuals or family members having certain health conditions such as raised blood pressure, heart diseases, strokes or other diseases exhibited a positive attitude towards reducing Na intake. Conversely, socio-economic factors like education and income demonstrated the complexity of influences on knowledge and attitudes about Na intake.

CONCLUSION

The study underscores the need for tailored public health interventions to reduce excessive Na consumption, considering the diverse cultural, social and economic factors. It highlights the complex determinants of knowledge and attitudes towards Na intake, calling for further research in varied populations.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess Brazilians' knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors toward salt and sodium

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess Brazilian adults' knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors (KPB) toward salt and sodium. Based on a PAHO/WHO questionnaire, a new instrument was developed and evaluated by 11 experts, generating item and scale-level content validity indexes (I-CVI and S-CVI, respectively). Face validity was verified through a focus group with eight participants, followed by an operational test with 36 interviewees. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine the construct validity, and Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated to analyze instrument's reliability, using data collected via telephone from a probabilistic sample of 422 adults. The generated solutions were analyzed from theoretical and statistical significance perspectives, which supported the determination of the best model. Remaining items were scored, with higher scores related to healthier practices. A descriptive analysis was performed considering the data from the 422-adult sample. I-CVIs (0.73-1), S-CVIs (0.93; 0.97) and the interviewees' analysis indicated that items are representative and clear, in addition to being suitable for application to the target audience. Tests confirmed sample adequacy to perform the EFA (KMO = 0.82; Bartlett's sphericity test, p < .001). The final validated model, with 16 items, sufficiently explained the variance and presented good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.81; 95% CI 0.79 - 0.84). Women, older individuals, and with higher education had significantly higher scores, regardless of chronic diseases diagnosis (p < .001). This instrument is ready to be applied and easily reproduced, contributing to the assessment of KPB toward salt and sodium in Brazil.