TABLE 3. Knowledge, attitudes and salt-related behavior according to sex, age categories, body mass index and education.
|
Variable, n (%) |
Sex |
|
|
|
Age (years) |
|
|
BMI (kg/m2) |
|
|
|
Education |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Women n = 108 |
Men n = 51 |
p |
< 40 n = 52 |
≥ 40 < 57 n = 53 |
≥ 57 n = 54 |
p |
Normal n = 43 |
Overweight n = 61 |
Obesity n = 55 |
p |
≤ 9 years n = 93 |
> 9 years n = 66 |
p |
|
|
Knowledge | ||||||||||||||
|
Maximum daily amount of salt recommended | ||||||||||||||
|
Less than 10 g |
0 |
4 (7.8) |
0.019 |
1 (1.9) |
1 (1.9) |
2 (3.7) |
0.79 |
0 |
1 (1.6) |
3 (5.5) |
0.022 |
4 (4.3) |
0 |
0.55 |
|
Less than 8 g |
2 (1.9) |
2 (3.9) |
1 (1.9) |
1 (1.9) |
2 (3.7) |
1 (2.3) |
3 (4.9) |
0 |
3 (3.2) |
1 (1.5) |
||||
|
Less than 5 g |
9 (8.3) |
1 (2.0) |
4 (7.7) |
3 (5.7) |
3 (5.6) |
3 (7.0) |
6 (9.8) |
1 (1.8) |
6 (6.5) |
4 (6.1) |
||||
|
Less than 2 g |
12 (11.1) |
7 (13.7) |
4 (7.7) |
5 (9.4) |
10 (18.5) |
8 (18.6) |
9 (14.8) |
2 (3.6) |
11 (11.8) |
8 (12.1) |
||||
|
Don’t know |
85 (78.7) |
37 (72.6) |
42 (80.8) |
43 (81.1) |
37 (68.5) |
31 (72.1) |
42 (68.9) |
49 (89.1) |
69 (74.2) |
53 (80.3) |
||||
|
Do you think that a high salt intake could cause health problems? | ||||||||||||||
|
Agree |
95 (88.0) |
45 (88.2) |
0.99 |
48 (92.3) |
48 (90.6) |
44 (81.5) |
0.18 |
40 (93.0) |
48 (78.7) |
52 (94.6) |
0.016 |
80 (86.0) |
60 (90.9) |
0.35 |
|
Do not agree |
13 (12.0) |
6 (11.8) |
4 (7.7) |
5 (9.4) |
10 (18.5) |
3 (7.0) |
13 (21.3) |
3 (5.5) |
13 (14.0) |
6 (9.1) |
||||
|
If yes, what problems? | ||||||||||||||
|
High blood pressure | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
89 (93.7) |
40 (88.9) |
0.33 |
44 (91.7) |
43 (89.6) |
42 (95.4) |
0.63 |
40 (100) |
41 (85.4) |
48 (92.3) |
0.031 |
70 (87.5) |
59 (98.3) |
0.024 |
|
No |
6 (6.3) |
5 (11.1) |
4 (8.3) |
5 (10.4) |
2 (4.6) |
0 (0) |
7 (14.6) |
4 (7.7) |
10 (12.5) |
1 (1.7) |
||||
|
Heart attacks | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
11 (11.6) |
5 (11.1) |
0.94 |
2 (4.2) |
8 (16.7) |
6 (13.6) |
0.13 |
5 (12.5) |
5 (10.4) |
6 (11.5) |
0.95 |
13 (16.3) |
3 (5.0) |
0.058 |
|
No |
84 (88.4) |
40 (88.9) |
46 (95.8) |
40 (83.3) |
38 (86.4) |
35 (87.5) |
43 (89.6) |
46 (88.5) |
67 (83.8) |
57 (95.0) |
||||
|
Osteoporosis | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
31 (32.6) |
15 (33.3) |
0.93 |
10 (20.8) |
21 (43.8) |
15 (34.1) |
0.056 |
13 (32.5) |
16 (33.3) |
17 (32.7) |
0.99 |
27 (33.8) |
19 (31.7) |
0.80 |
|
No |
64 (67.4) |
30 (66.7) |
38 (79.2) |
27 (56.3) |
29 (65.9) |
27 (67.5) |
32 (66.7) |
35 (67.3) |
53 (66.3) |
41 (68.3) |
||||
|
Stroke | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
6 (6.3) |
4 (8.9) |
0.73 |
0 (0) |
2 (4.2) |
8 (18.2) |
0.014 |
1 (2.5) |
5 (10.4) |
4 (7.7) |
0.39 |
8 (10.0) |
2 (3.3) |
0.19 |
|
No |
89 (96.7) |
41 (91.1) |
48 (100) |
46 (95.8) |
36 (81.8) |
39 (97.5) |
43 (89.6) |
48 (92.3) |
72 (90.0) |
58 (96.7) |
||||
|
Stomach cancer | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
26 (27.4) |
16 (35.6) |
0.32 |
12 (25.0) |
14 (29.2) |
16 (36.4) |
0.49 |
12 (30) |
14 (29.2) |
16 (30.8) |
0.98 |
27 (33.8) |
15 (25.0) |
0.26 |
|
No |
69 (72.6) |
29 (64.4) |
36 (75.0) |
34 (70.8) |
28 (63.6) |
28 (70) |
34 (70.8) |
36 (69.2) |
53 (66.3) |
45 (75.0) |
||||
|
Kidney stones | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
1 (1.1) |
1 (2.2) |
0.54 |
1 (2.1) |
1 (2.1) |
0 (0) |
0.99 |
1 (2.5) |
1 (2.1) |
0 (0) |
0.54 |
1 (1.3) |
1 (1.7) |
0.99 |
|
No |
94 (98.9) |
44 (97.8) |
47 (97.9) |
47 (97.9) |
44 (100) |
39 (97.5) |
47 (97.9) |
52 (100) |
79 (98.8) |
59 (98.3) |
||||
|
Attitude | ||||||||||||||
|
Knowledge of salt content in foods | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
63 (58.3) |
32 (62.8) |
0.60 |
33 (63.5) |
31 (58.5) |
31 (57.4) |
0.80 |
26 (60.5) |
32 (52.5) |
37 (67.3) |
0.27 |
53 (57.0) |
42 (63.6) |
0.40 |
|
No |
45 (41.7) |
19 (37.2) |
19 (36.5) |
22 (41.5) |
23 (42.6) |
17 (39.5) |
29 (47.5) |
18 (32.7) |
40 (43.0) |
24 (36.4) |
||||
|
How much salt do you think you consume? | ||||||||||||||
|
Too much |
11 (10.2) |
11 (21.6) |
0.12 |
11 (21.2) |
7 (13.2) |
4 (7.4) |
0.046 |
7 (16.3) |
7 (11.5) |
8 (14.5) |
0.90 |
15 (16.1) |
7 (10.6) |
0.50 |
|
Just the right amount |
78 (72.2) |
30 (58.8) |
32 (61.5) |
41 (77.4) |
35 (64.8) |
27 (62.8) |
44 (72.1) |
37 (67.3) |
63 (67.7) |
45 (68.2) |
||||
|
Not enough |
19 (17.6) |
10 (19.6) |
9 (17.3) |
5 (9.4) |
15 (27.8) |
9 (20.9) |
10 (16.4) |
10 (18.2) |
15 (16.1) |
14 (21.2) |
||||
|
How important to you is lowering salt in your diet? | ||||||||||||||
|
Very important |
75 (69.4) |
10 (19.6) |
0.15 |
32 (61.5) |
39 (73.6) |
45 (83.3) |
0.041 |
29 (67.4) |
44 (72.1) |
43 (78.2) |
0.49 |
73 (78.5) |
43 (65.2) |
0.062 |
|
Not important |
33 (30.6) |
41 (80.4) |
20 (38.5) |
14 (26.4) |
9 (16.7) |
14 (32.6) |
17 (27.9) |
12 (21.8) |
20 (21.5) |
23 (34.9) |
||||
|
I try to eat a healthy diet daily | ||||||||||||||
|
Agree |
91 (84.3) |
37 (72.6) |
0.082 |
38 (73.1) |
43 (81.1) |
47 (87.0) |
0.19 |
38 (88.4) |
50 (82.0) |
40 (72.7) |
0.14 |
74 (79.6) |
54 (81.8) |
0.72 |
|
Do not agree |
17 (15.7) |
14 (27.4) |
14 (26.9) |
10 (18.9) |
7 (13.0) |
5 (11.6) |
11 (18.0) |
15 (27.3) |
19 (20.4) |
12 (18.2) |
||||
|
Perceive oneself to be in good health? | ||||||||||||||
|
Agree |
72 (66.7) |
44 (86.3) |
0.0094 |
37 (71.2) |
36 (67.9) |
43 (79.6) |
0.37 |
33 (76.7) |
51 (83.6) |
32 (58.2) |
0.007 |
62 (66.7) |
54 (81.8) |
0.034 |
|
Do not agree |
36 (33.3) |
7 (13.7) |
15 (28.9) |
17 (32.1) |
11 (20.4) |
10 (23.3) |
10 (16.4) |
23 (41.8) |
31 (33.3) |
12 (18.2) |
||||
|
Behavior | ||||||||||||||
|
How often you add salt to food when cooking or preparing food? | ||||||||||||||
|
Most of the times |
36 (70.6) |
78 (72.2) |
0.89 |
41 (78.9) |
39 (73.6) |
34 (63.0) |
0.43 |
33 (76.7) |
46 (75.4) |
35 (63.4) |
0.33 |
72 (77.4) |
42 (63.6) |
0.15 |
|
Sometimes |
6 (11.8) |
14 (13.0) |
5 (9.6) |
7 (13.2) |
8 (14.8) |
4 (9.3) |
5 (8.2) |
11 (20.0) |
10 (10.8) |
10 (15.2) |
||||
|
Never |
9 (17.7) |
16 (14.8) |
6 (11.5) |
7 (13.2) |
12 (22) |
6 (14.0) |
10 (16.4) |
9 (16.4) |
11 (11.8) |
14 (21.2) |
||||
|
How often you add salt to food at the table? | ||||||||||||||
|
Most of the times |
7 (6.5) |
8 (15.7) |
0.18 |
8 (15.4) |
3 (5.7) |
4 (7.4) |
0.14 |
8 (18.6) |
2 (3.3) |
5 (9.1) |
0.043 |
9 (9.7) |
6 (9.1) |
0.93 |
|
Sometimes |
18 (16.7) |
8 (15.7) |
9 (17.3) |
5 (9.4) |
12 (22.2) |
7 (16.3) |
7 (11.5) |
12 (21.8) |
16 (17.2) |
10 (15.2) |
||||
|
Never |
83 (76.9) |
35 (68.6) |
35 (67.3) |
45 (84.9) |
38 (70.4) |
28 (65.1) |
52 (85.3) |
38 (69.1) |
68 (73.1) |
50 (75.8) |
||||
|
Double-discretionary use of salt (when cooking and at the table) | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
7 (6.5) |
6 (11.8) |
0.26 |
7 (13.5) |
3 (5.7) |
3 (5.6) |
0.26 |
7 (16.3) |
1 (1.6) |
5 (9.1) |
0.017 |
8 (8.6) |
5 (7.6) |
0.82 |
|
No |
101 (93.5) |
45 (88.2) |
45 (86.5) |
50 (94.3) |
51 (94.4) |
36 (83.7) |
60 (98.4) |
50 (90.9) |
85 (91.4) |
61 (92.4) |
||||
|
Take regular action to control your salt intake? | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
60 (55.6) |
24 (47.1) |
0.32 |
18 (34.6) |
31 (58.5) |
35 (64.8) |
0.0047 |
23 (53.5) |
34 (55.7) |
27 (49.1) |
0.77 |
54 (58.1) |
30 (45.5) |
0.12 |
|
No |
48 (44.4) |
27 (52.9) |
34 (65.4) |
22 (41.5) |
19 (35.2) |
20 (46.5) |
27 (44.3) |
28 (50.9) |
39 (41.9) |
36 (54.5) |
||||
|
If yes, what do you do? a | ||||||||||||||
|
Avoid consumption of processed foods | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
47 (78.3) |
20 (83.3) |
0.77 |
14 (77.8) |
26 (83.9) |
27 (77.1) |
0.77 |
19 (82.6) |
27 (79.4) |
21 (77.8) |
0.91 |
43 (79.6) |
24 (80.0) |
0.97 |
|
No |
13 (21.7) |
4 (16.7) |
4 (22.2) |
5 (16.1) |
8 (22.9) |
4 (17.4) |
7 (20.6) |
6 (22.2) |
11 (20.4) |
6 (20.0) |
||||
|
Check labels for sodium level | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
40 (66.7) |
16 (66.7) |
0.99 |
10 (55.6) |
24 (77.4) |
22 (62.9) |
0.24 |
15 (65.2) |
24 (70.6) |
17 (63.0) |
0.81 |
37 (68.5) |
19 (63.3) |
0.63 |
|
No |
20 (33.3) |
8 (33.3) |
8 (44.4) |
7 (22.6) |
13 (37.1) |
8 (34.8) |
10 (29.4) |
10 (37.0) |
17 (31.5) |
11 (36.7) |
||||
|
Buy low-sodium alternatives | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
38 (63.3) |
12 (50.0) |
0.26 |
9 (50.0) |
19 (61.3) |
22 (62.9) |
0.64 |
14 (60.9) |
19 (55.9) |
17 (63.0) |
0.84 |
33 (61.1) |
17 (56.7) |
0.69 |
|
No |
22 (36.7) |
12 (50.0) |
9 (50.0) |
12 (38.7) |
13 (37.1) |
9 (39.1) |
15 (44.1) |
10 (37.0) |
21 (38.9) |
13 (43.3) |
||||
|
Use spices and herbs other than salt | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
51 (85.0) |
15 (62.5) |
0.023 |
11 (61.1) |
25 (80.7) |
30 (85.7) |
0.11 |
16 (69.6) |
27 (79.4) |
23 (85.2) |
0.40 |
40 (74.1) |
26 (86.7) |
0.18 |
|
No |
9 (15.0) |
9 (37.5) |
7 (38.9) |
6 (19.4) |
5 (14.3) |
7 (30.4) |
7 (20.6) |
4 (14.8) |
14 (25.9) |
4 (13.3) |
||||
|
Avoid eating out | ||||||||||||||
|
Yes |
44 (73.3) |
17 (70.8) |
0.82 |
15 (83.3) |
19 (61.3) |
27 (77.1) |
0.18 |
17 (73.9) |
25 (73.5) |
19 (70.4) |
0.95 |
40 (74.1) |
21 (70.0) |
0.69 |
|
No |
16 (26.7) |
7 (29.2) |
3 (16.7) |
12 (38.7) |
8 (22.9) |
6 (26.1) |
9 (26.5) |
8 (29.6) |
14 (25.9) |
9 (30.0) |
||||
Many answers were possible. Chi-square (or Fisher) test. p-value for the difference in frequency of response.
Source: The authors based on these results and published data.