Background
Current recommendations target sodium reduction in the food supply and intake; however,
information is limited on consumer readiness for these actions.
Purpose
Prevalence and determinants of consumer agreement for government restriction of manufacturers
and restaurants putting excess salt in food and support for policies limiting sodium
content of quick service restaurant (QSR) foods were examined.
Methods
Data were analyzed from 9,579 adults aged ≥18 years who responded to consumer readiness
for sodium reduction questions in the 2010 ConsumerStyles survey. Responses were collapsed
into three categories. Consumer agreement was determined and logistic regression was
used to estimate ORs. Analyses were conducted in 2012.
Results
The majority of consumers agree that it is a good idea for government to restrict
food manufacturers (55.9%) from putting excess salt in foods. About half agreed that
it is a good idea for government to restrict restaurants from putting excess salt
in foods and 81.5% supported sodium reduction policies in QSRs. Odds of agreement/support
were higher for non-Hispanic blacks compared with non-Hispanic whites, and those with
incomes <$40,000 compared with ≥$60,000. Those reporting “neutral” or “yes” to wanting
to eat a diet low in sodium were more likely to agree/support government action compared
to those answering “no.”
Conclusions
Nearly half of consumers agree with government actions to reduce sodium in manufactured
and restaurant foods, with even greater support for QSRs. These findings could inform
industry and public health partners about consumer preferences to lower the sodium
content of the food supply.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to American Journal of Preventive MedicineAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011; 60 (1413–17)
- Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th ed..USDHHS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington DC2011
- Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride, and sulfate.National Academies Press, Washington DC2004
- Death in the U.S., 2011.CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville MD2013 (NCHS Data Brief. No.: 115)
- Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources.J Am Coll Nutr. 1991; 10 (383–93)
- Strategies to reduce sodium intake in the U.S.National Academies Press, Washington DC2010
- The importance of population-wide sodium reduction as a means to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke: a call to action from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2011; 123: 1138-1143
- Reducing the population burden of cardiovascular disease by reducing sodium intake: a report of the Council on Science and Public Health.Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167: 1460-1468
American Public Health Association. Policy statement database—implementing effective strategies to reduce sodium in the food supply. www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1412.
- Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases.WHO, Geneva, Switzerland2003 (WHO Technical Report Series. No.: 916)
Center for Science in the Public Interest. FDA urged to require sodium reduction in food supply. cspinet.org/new/201201301.html.
- Lay people’s views of school food policy options: associations with confidence, personal values and demographics.Health Educ Res. 2006; 21: 848-861
- Support among U.S. adults for local and state policies to increase fruit and vegetable access.Am J Prev Med. 2012; 43: S102-S108
- Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2012; 125: e2-e220
- Effects of public-opinion on policy.Am Polit Sci Rev. 1983; 77: 175-190
- Enacting tobacco taxes by direct popular vote in the U.S.: lessons from 20 years of experience.Tob Control. 2009; 18: 377-386
- State legislators’ work on public health-related issues: what influences priorities?.J Public Health Manag Pract. 2013; 19: 25-29
International Food Information Council Foundation. 2011 Food & Health Survey: consumer attitudes toward food safety, nutrition & health. Washington DC: International Food Information Council Foundation, 2011. foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=2011_Food_Health_Survey_Consumer_Attitudes_Toward_Food_Safety_Nutrition_Health.
Garland R. The mid-point on a rating scale: is it desirable? Marketing Bulletin 1991;2:66−70, Research Note 3. marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/V2/MB_V2_N3_Garland.pdf.
- Is sodium on American plates and minds? An assessment of consumer attitudes and behavior with respect to dietary sodium.International Food Information Council, Washington DC2011
- What we eat in America, NHANES 2009–2010, individuals 2 years and over (excluding breast-fed children), day 1 dietary intake data, weighted.Agricultural Research Service, Washington DC2012
Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption; Establishment of Dockets: Request for Comments, Data, and Information, Notice. Federal Register 76:179 (15 Sept 2011) p. 57050.
Article Info
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
