Salt/Sodium Intake Estimation in Children and Adolescents of Costa Rica

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to estimate sodium intake and to identify the main dietary sources of this nutrient in young people. Cross-sectional study performed in 2685 students from 64 schools and high-schools of Costa Rica. A food frequency survey was applied to study the food and beverage intake habits of the participants. The average daily sodium intake for children and adolescents 7 to 18 years of age was 3214 mg. Around 97% of the students had sodium intakes > 2300 mg per day with significant differences by age subgroup, sex and nutritional status due to excess body weight (p < 0.001). The average sodium density of the diet was 1698 mg sodium/1000kcal, and the average addition of salt to the food was 445 mg of sodium (1.1 grams of salt). Including the amount added to the served food, the average sodium intake for children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years of age increased to 3434 mg and the overall average sodium density increased to 1821 mg of sodium/1000kcal, maintaining significant differences by age subgroups (p < 0.001). These results justify carrying out social marketing campaigns that include educational processes with sense and meaning for children, adolescents and families, in such a way that these groups of the population become motivated to modify gradually their eating habits, such as reducing the use of sauces, seasonings and salt in food preparation and at the table. If the habit of adding salt to the served food is gradually reduced or avoided, the children and adolescents in Costa Rica could decrease the intake of salt per day from 1 to 2 grams. This decrease could be even more effective if youngsters additionally would remove the intake of sauces, contributing in this way to achieve the maximum salt intake recommendation (5 g per day).

Pasta as a Source of Minerals in the Diets of Poles; Effect of Culinary Processing of Pasta on the Content of Minerals

“…Studies involving people with hypertension showed that although the respondents were aware of the recommendations to reduce the consumption of salt, most of them exceeded the recommended levels [ 48 ]. Children and adolescents also consume too much salt—on average, more than 3 g a day [ 49 , 50 ]. As early as 2006, the World Health Organization recommended that the daily intake of Na should not exceed 2 g, which is an amount contained in 5 g of table salt, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases [ 51 ].…”

Household Cooking and Eating out: Food Practices and Perceptions of Salt/Sodium Consumption in Costa Rica

“…Sodium available for consumption in national households largely exceeded the intake levels recommended by the World Health Organization (<2 g sodium/person/day) and increased between 2005 and 2013 from 3.9 to 4.6 g/per adult person/day (p < 0.001) [12]. The estimated mean sodium intake in Costa Rican children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years of age, based on a food frequency survey and added salt to the served food, was 3.4 g with a sodium density of 1.8 g of sodium/1000 kcal, maintaining significant differences by age subgroups (p < 0.001) [13].…”

Initiatives to Reduce the Content of Sodium in Food Products and Meals and Improve the Population’s Health

“…In many European countries, due to a lack of time, homemade meals are rare, so only a small percentage of sodium intake derives from salt added in cooking [ 4 ]. More than one-third (34%) of Swiss children reported adding salt to their meals on the plate [ 58 ], but this figure was even higher for Costa Ricans (49.4%) [ 78 ]. In the quoted study, nearly 39% of the participants said they usually add at least one pinch of salt to their meals one or two times a week; in turn, one in ten children from Costa Rica declared that they added a pinch of salt even three or four days in a week.…”