Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, Canada.
Costa Rican Institute of Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA), Tres Ríos P.O. Box 4-2250, Costa Rica.
Nutrients. 2022 Oct 15;14(20):4311. doi: 10.3390/nu14204311.
Excess dietary sodium is a global public health priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease are high. The International Development Research Centre funded a research consortium of five Latin American countries (LAC) to inform public health policy for dietary sodium reduction (2016-2020). The objective of this study was to determine the outcomes of this funding on short-term (e.g., research, capacity building) and intermediary outcomes (e.g., policies). A summative program evaluation was conducted, using a logic model and multiple data sources including document review, surveys and interviews. Researchers from Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru and Paraguay produced a significant amount of scientific evidence to guide decision making on sodium policy related to its content in foods, consumer behaviors (social marketing), and the health and economic benefits of dietary reduction. A substantive number of knowledge translation products were produced. The funding enabled training opportunities for researchers who developed skills that can be scaled-up to other critical nutrients and health issues. It was unexpected that intermediary policy changes would occur, however several countries demonstrated early policy improvements derived from this research. A funded research consortium of LAC is a practical approach to invoke policy innovations.
过量的膳食钠是全球公共卫生的重点，特别是在高血压和心血管疾病发病率高的中低收入国家。国际发展研究中心为五个拉丁美洲国家（LAC）的研究联盟提供资金，以制定减少膳食钠的公共卫生政策（2016-2020 年）。本研究的目的是确定这些资金对短期（例如研究、能力建设）和中期结果（例如政策）的影响。使用逻辑模型和多种数据源（包括文献审查、调查和访谈）进行了总结性的方案评估。来自阿根廷、哥斯达黎加、巴西、秘鲁和巴拉圭的研究人员提供了大量科学证据，为与食物中钠含量、消费者行为（社会营销）以及减少饮食中钠的健康和经济效益相关的钠政策决策提供了指导。还制作了大量的知识转化产品。该资金为研究人员提供了培训机会，使他们获得了可以扩展到其他关键营养素和健康问题的技能。出乎意料的是，中间政策发生了变化，然而，几个国家已经展示了这项研究带来的早期政策改进。LAC 的资助研究联盟是推动政策创新的一种实用方法。
