Knowledge, attitude and behavior about dietary salt reduction among family chefs and members in six provinces of China

  Objective   To examine the knowledge, attitude and behavior about dietary salt reduction among family chefs and their family members in six provinces of China, and to provide evidences for formulating strategies and measures for dietary salt reduction in communities.

  Methods   The participants of the study were 1 576 family chefs and their family members ( ≥ 18 years old) recruited with multistage random sampling in 60 urban communities and rural villages of 6 provincial-level regions (Qinghai, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Jiangxi, and Hunan) of China; then electronic device-aided face-to-face interviews and blood pressure measurements were carried out among the participants during September – November 2018. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the participants' information on dietary salt reduction-related knowledge, attitude and behavior.

  Results   Among the participants, the rates of awareness on dietary salt reduction-related knowledge were 16.24% for recommended daily table salt intake for adults, 19.67% for low sodium salt, 31.41% for salt content index on food package labels, 76.27% for high salt consumption increasing the risk of hypertension, and 20.11% for reasonable low salt intake not reducing physical strength, respectively. Of the participants, 80.65% reported a positive attitude towards reducing salt intake at meals; 85.91%, 53.87%, 24.19%, and 14.91% reported not eating snacks containing salt, not eating salted food, using table salt with low sodium, and asking for adding less salt in dishes when eating out or ordering a takeout food. Compared to their family members, the family chefs had significantly higher rates of being aware of excessive dietary salt intake as a risk factor for hypertension (78.43% vs. 74.11%) and holding a positive attitude towards reducing salt intake at meals (85.66% vs. 75.63%) but a lower rate of being aware of salt content index on food package labels (26.14% vs. 36.68%) (P < 0.05 for all).

  Conclusion   The rate of having a positive attitude towards dietary salt reduction is high, but both the rate of being aware of dietary salt reduction-related knowledge and putting dietary salt reduction into practice are relatively low among the family chefs and their family members in six provinces of China.