Habitual salt consumption behaviours.

BackgroundHigh-salt diets are linked to hypertension. Chinese people in Australia, are at increased risk of hypertension due to the combination of routine addition of high quantities of salt to food during cooking and high salt levels in processed western foods. There is a scarcity of salt-related behavioural studies on this population group. This study aimed to explore the habitual salt consumption of Chinese Australians and factors that influence their perceptions about sustaining salt-related behavioural changes for hypertension prevention.MethodA cross-sectional descriptive study using an adapted Determinants of Salt-Restriction Behaviour Questionnaire was conducted on 188 Chinese Australians. A non-probability sampling method was used to attract participants from different parts of Australia. Statistical analyses such as descriptive analysis, t-tests and Pearson correlation tests were performed in the study.ResultsOver 97% of participants did not measure the amount of salt added to their meals. Many participants reported that salt was added to their meals based on their experience (39.4%) and food taste (31.9%). Over 80% of participants did not know the recommended level of daily salt consumption. Although salt-related knowledge had no significant correlation with individuals’ salty food taste preferences, there were significant correlations with the perceptions of the severity of disease and health benefits of reducing salt consumption (p = .001 and ConclusionFindings from this study show that knowledge about salt-reduction alone had no significant effects on salt-related behaviours. Adequate culturally relevant practice-based education in salt-reduction strategies may facilitate salt-related behavioural changes in Chinese Australians. Overall, single young Chinese Australian men with stronger salty taste preferences is the group who needs salt reduction interventions the most.

【研究背景】高盐饮食与高血压存在关联。在澳华人由于烹饪时常规添加大量食盐，加之加工西式食品本身含盐量较高，其高血压患病风险有所升高。目前针对该人群开展的食盐相关行为学研究较为匮乏。本研究旨在探究在澳华人的习惯性食盐摄入情况，以及影响其为预防高血压而维持食盐相关行为改变的认知因素。
【研究方法】本研究采用改编版《限盐行为决定因素调查问卷》（Determinants of Salt-Restriction Behaviour Questionnaire），针对188名在澳华人开展横断面描述性研究。研究采用非概率抽样方法，从澳大利亚不同地区招募受试者。研究采用描述性分析、t检验以及皮尔逊相关检验等统计学方法进行数据分析。
【研究结果】超过97%的受试者未对餐食中添加的食盐量进行称量。多数受试者表示其餐食加盐依据为个人经验（39.4%）与食物口味（31.9%）。超过80%的受试者不清楚每日推荐食盐摄入量。尽管食盐相关知识与个体的咸食口味偏好无显著相关性，但与受试者对疾病严重程度的认知以及减盐的健康获益存在显著相关性（p=0.001）。
【研究结论】本研究结果显示，仅掌握减盐相关知识对食盐相关行为无显著影响。开展贴合文化背景的基于实践的减盐策略教育，或可推动在澳华人实现食盐相关行为改变。总体而言，咸食口味偏好较强的年轻在澳单身男性群体，是最需要实施减盐干预的目标人群。