Knowledge, attitudes and practices surrounding sodium intake in Ecuador: a pilot study

Abstract

Objective To identify the main sources of sodium in the Ecuadorian diet and determine knowledge, attitudes and practices related to the use of salt/sodium.Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by taking a convenience sample of 177 adults. Socio-demographic, anthropometric and clinical data were collected. Frequency of consumption of food items high in sodium and knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding salt intake were evaluated.Results Meat products, sugary drinks, sausages, canned fish and seasonings are the food items with the highest consumption and sodium content. Nearly 97% of participants had a misperception about their sodium intake. While 99% know that a diet high in salt causes health problems, only 38.4% take a systematic action to regulate their salt intake.Conclusions There were a common misperception about sodium consumption. Only a small number of people take an action to reduce their consumption, although these actions was ineffective.