There is robust evidence that a reduction in salt intake lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure.1 But how can population wide salt consumption be reduced effectively? Several developed countries have been successful in reducing their populations’ salt intake mainly by setting incrementally lower salt targets for processed foods, which account for approximately 70-80% of salt intake.2 Developing countries, however, are lagging behind. China is the largest developing country with a population of 1.4 billion. Salt intake in China is very high, with an average intake per person of more than double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended maximum.3 Unlike developed countries, in China approximately 80% salt is …
Objective To determine whether a smartphone application based education programme can lower salt intake in schoolchildren and their families.
Design Parallel, cluster randomised controlled trial, with schools randomly assigned to either intervention or control group (1:1).
Setting 54 primary schools from three provinces in northern, central, and southern China, from 15 September 2018 to 27 December 2019.
Participants 592 children (308 (52.0%) boys; mean age 8.58 (standard deviation 0.41) years) in grade 3 of primary school (about 11 children per school) and 1184 adult family members (551 (46.5%) men; mean age 45.80 (12.87) years).
Intervention Children in the intervention group were taught, with support of the app, about salt reduction and assigned homework to encourage their families to participate in activities to reduce salt consumption.
Main outcome measures Primary outcome was the difference in salt intake change (measured by 24 hour urinary sodium excretion) at 12 month foll
Objective To determine the effects of salt reduction interventions designed for home cooks and family members.
Design Cluster randomised controlled trial.
Setting Six provinces in northern, central, and southern China from 15 October 2018 to 30 December 2019.
Participants 60 communities from six provinces (10 communities from each province) were randomised; each community comprised 26 people (two people from each of 13 families).
Interventions Participants in the intervention group received 12 month interventions, including supportive environment building for salt reduction, six education sessions on salt reduction, and salt intake monitoring by seven day weighed record of salt and salty condiments. The control group did not receive any of the interventions.
Main outcome measure Difference between the two groups in change in salt intake measured by 24 hour urinary sodium during the 12 month follow-up.
Results 1576 participants (775 (49.2%) men; mean age 55.8 (standard deviation 1
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