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. 2022 Feb 25:9:830262.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.830262. eCollection 2022.

Impact of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Salt/Sodium Related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of University Students

Leila Cheikh Ismail  1   2 , Mona Hashim  1 , Amjad H Jarrar  3 , Maysm N Mohamad  3 , Rameez Al Daour  1 , Radhiya Al Rajaby  1 , Sara AlWatani  1 , Amna AlAhmed  1 , Shaikha Qarata  1 , Fatima Maidan  1 , Sheima T Saleh  1 , Lily Stojanovska  3   4 , Ayesha S Al Dhaheri  3
Affiliations

Impact of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Salt/Sodium Related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of University Students

Leila Cheikh Ismail et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Salt reduction strategies help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) by reducing high blood pressure. This study aimed to assess salt related knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) before and after administering an evidence-based nutrition education workshop.

Methods: Ninety non-medical university students were recruited to investigate KAP related to dietary salt intake. The KAP components were assessed before, immediately after, and 4-weeks after administering an evidence-based educational workshop and leaflet.

Results: Knowledge and attitudes related to salt improved significantly immediately post-intervention but were not fully retained after 4-weeks. Five of the 13 evaluated practices improved after 4-weeks: trying to buy low-salt foods increased from 10 to 19% (P = 0.022), rarely adding salt to food during cooking increased from 5 to 16% (P = 0.019), rarely adding salt to food at the table increased from 29 to 42% (P = 0.011), tried to reduce salt intake increased from 26 to 41% (P = 0.014), and tried to use spices to reduce salt increased from 31 to 45% (P = 0.044).

Conclusions: The educational intervention had a positive impact on salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices, but the effect was not fully retained on the long-term. Periodic educational interventions should be considered to refresh knowledge and reinforce practices.

Keywords: dietary salt; dietary sodium; educational intervention; knowledge retention; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of participants and study design.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean knowledge scores of pre-test, post-test, and follow up. The p-value indicates the statistical significance of the paired sample t-test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Risk of high-salt consumption categories for student's pre-test and at 4-weeks follow up (low risk, moderate risk, and high risk). The p-value indicates the statistical significance of the McNemar test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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