Nepal Health Research Council, Ramshah Path, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Department of Biochemistry, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal.
PLoS One. 2022 Apr 12;17(4):e0266662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266662. eCollection 2022.
High dietary salt intake is recognized as a risk factor for several non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in particular cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including heart attack and stroke. Accurate measurement of population level salt intake is essential for setting targeted goals and plans for salt reduction strategies. We used a spot urine sample to estimate the mean population salt intake in Nepal and evaluated the association of salt intake with excess weight, hypertension, raised blood sugar and hypercholesterolemia, and a number of socio-demographic characteristics.
A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out from February to May 2019 using a WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance. Spot urine was collected from 4361 participants aged 15-69 years for the analysis of salt intake. We then used the INTERSALT equation to calculate population salt intake. Student's 't' test, one-way ANOVA and multivariable linear regression were used to assess the association between salt intake and a number of factors. Statistical significance was accepted at P < .05.
The average (±SD) age of participants was 40 (14.1) years. Mean salt intake, derived from spot urine samples, was estimated to be 9.1g/d. A total of 70.8% of the population consumed more than the WHO's recommended amount of 5g salt per day, with almost one third of the population (29%) consuming more than 10g of salt per day. Higher salt intake was significantly associated with male gender (β for male = 0.98g; 95%CI:0.87,1.1) and younger age groups (β25-39 years = 0.08; 95%CI:-0.08,0.23) and higher BMI (β = 0.19; 95%CI:0.18,0.21). Participants who were hypertensive and had raised blood cholesterol consumed less salt than people who had normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels (P<0.001).
Salt consumption in Nepal is high, with a total of 70.8% of the population having a mean salt intake >5g/d, well above the World Health Organization recommendation. High salt intake was found to be associated with sex, age group, education, province, BMI, and raised cholesterol level of participants These findings build a strong case for action to reduce salt consumption in Nepal in order to achieve the global target of 30% reduction in population salt intake by 2025.
高盐饮食被认为是多种非传染性疾病（NCDs）的风险因素，特别是心血管疾病（CVDs），包括心脏病发作和中风。准确测量人群的盐摄入量对于制定有针对性的减盐策略目标和计划至关重要。我们使用点尿样估计尼泊尔的人群平均盐摄入量，并评估盐摄入量与超重、高血压、高血糖和高胆固醇血症以及一些社会人口特征的关系。
2019 年 2 月至 5 月，我们采用世卫组织的 STEPwise 监测方法进行了一项基于人群的横断面研究。从 15-69 岁的 4361 名参与者中采集点尿样，用于分析盐摄入量。然后，我们使用 INTERSALT 方程计算人群盐摄入量。使用学生 't' 检验、单因素方差分析和多变量线性回归来评估盐摄入量与多个因素之间的关系。统计学显著性水平为 P <.05。
参与者的平均（±SD）年龄为 40（14.1）岁。从点尿样中得出的平均盐摄入量估计为 9.1g/d。共有 70.8%的人口每天摄入的盐超过世卫组织推荐的 5g 盐，近三分之一（29%）的人口每天摄入的盐超过 10g。较高的盐摄入量与男性（男性 β=0.98g；95%CI：0.87，1.1）和较年轻的年龄组（β25-39 岁=0.08；95%CI：-0.08，0.23）以及较高的 BMI（β=0.19；95%CI：0.18，0.21）显著相关。高血压和高胆固醇的参与者摄入的盐比血压和胆固醇水平正常的人少（P<0.001）。
尼泊尔的盐摄入量很高，共有 70.8%的人口平均盐摄入量>5g/d，远远超过世界卫生组织的建议。研究发现，盐摄入量与性别、年龄组、教育程度、省份、BMI 和参与者的胆固醇水平升高有关。这些发现为尼泊尔采取行动减少盐摄入量提供了有力证据，以实现到 2025 年将人群盐摄入量减少 30%的全球目标。
