The Jamaica Salt Consumption Study Protocol: Sodium Intake; Sodium Content in Restaurant Foods; Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices; Spot Urine Sodium Validation [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

• Published in: F1000 research Vol. 11; p. 721
• Main Authors: Ferguson, Trevor S., Webster-Kerr, Karen, Tulloch-Reid, Marshall K., Bennett, Nadia R., Ho, James, Davidson, Tamu, Grant, Andriene, Gordon-Johnson, Kelly-Ann, Govia, Ishtar, Soares-Wynter, Suzanne, Younger-Coleman, Novie, McKenzie, Joette, Walker, Evelyn, Anderson, Simon, Edwards, Sharmaine, Spence, Simone
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Faculty of 1000 Ltd 2022; F1000 Research Limited; F1000 Research Ltd
• Subjects: Alcohol use; Attitudes; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Caribbean People; eng; Estimates; Food; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Hypertension; Jamaica; knowledge attitudes and practices; Restaurants; Salt; salt intake; salt reduction strategies; Sodium; Sodium - urine; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage; sodium content; Study Protocol; Surveys; urinary sodium; Urine; Jamaica; United Kingdom > UK; urinary sodium; sodium content; salt intake; salt reduction strategies; Jamaica; restaurant foods; knowledge attitudes and practices
• ISSN: 2046-1402; 2046-1402
• DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.122619.2

Background
Excess dietary salt consumption is a major contributor to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public education programs on the dangers of high salt intake, and population level interventions to reduce the salt content in foods are possible strategies to address this problem. In Jamaica, there are limited data on the levels of salt consumption and the population's knowledge and practices with regards to salt consumption. This study therefore aims to obtain baseline data on salt consumption, salt content in foods sold in restaurants, and evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Jamaicans regarding salt consumption.
Methods
The study is divided into four components. Component 1 will be a secondary analysis of data on urinary sodium from spot urine samples collected as part of a national survey, the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2016-2017. Component 2 will be a survey of chain and non-chain restaurants in Jamaica, to estimate the sodium content of foods sold in restaurants. Component 3 is another national survey, this time on a sample 1,200 individuals to obtain data on knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding salt consumption and estimation of urinary sodium excretion. Component 4 is a validation study to assess the level of agreement between spot urine sodium estimates and 24-hour urinary sodium from 120 individuals from Component 3.
Discussion
This study will provide important baseline data on salt consumption in Jamaica and will fulfil the first components of the World Health Organization SHAKE Technical Package for Salt Reduction. The findings will serve as a guide to Jamaica's Ministry of Health and Wellness in the development of a national salt reduction program. Findings will also inform interventions to promote individual and population level sodium reduction strategies as the country seeks to achieve the national target of a 30% reduction in salt consumption by 2025.