Crowther Juliette, Hoek Annet C, Trieu Kathy, Denham Inez, Deltetto Irene, Balaguer-Mercado Alain, Bullen James D, Kissock Katrina, Patay Dori, Rosewarne Emalie, Pettigrew Simone, Neal Bruce, Webster Jacqui
The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Health Technology Analysts Pty Ltd, Surry Hills, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Jul 22;25(1):2525. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23717-w.
Cardiovascular disease, the world's leading cause of death, could be significantly reduced through sodium reduction strategies; however, the implementation of such strategies has had limited impact in Australia and globally. Switching to potassium-enriched salt is a highly promising intervention, but uptake by the food industry and consumers remains limited. This study investigated the barriers and enablers for scaling up potassium-enriched salt use in Australia.
A qualitative, theory-informed study design was used to conduct 24 semi-structured interviews with representatives from civil society, government, and industry. Interviewees discussed scaling up potassium-enriched salt in relation to their interests, ideas, existing policies and guidelines, and perceived challenges and opportunities within the Australian context. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Minimal knowledge and awareness of potassium-enriched salt among all stakeholder groups was the most prominent finding. The key perceived barriers were low consumer demand for potassium-enriched salt products and little incentive for industry to invest in supply. Further, government stakeholders expressed hesitancy to implement policies due to perceived health risks such as hyperkalaemia. Interviewees identified increased awareness, support for industry research and development, and leveraging current policies and initiatives (such as the Australian Health Star Rating system) as potential enablers.
Improving stakeholder understanding of the benefit of switching to potassium-enriched salt in Australia may require a coordinated advocacy strategy that disseminates the evidence and addresses misconceptions. Efforts to drive increased supply and demand could be advanced using a multi-sectoral approach that focuses on supporting industry uptake, encouraging consumer demand, and informing policy implementation.
心血管疾病是全球主要死因，通过减少钠摄入策略可显著降低其发病率；然而，此类策略在澳大利亚及全球的实施效果有限。改用富钾盐是一项极具前景的干预措施，但食品行业和消费者的接受程度仍然有限。本研究调查了在澳大利亚扩大富钾盐使用的障碍和推动因素。
采用定性的、基于理论的研究设计，对来自民间社会、政府和行业的代表进行了24次半结构化访谈。受访者围绕自身利益、想法、现有政策和指南，以及澳大利亚背景下的感知挑战和机遇，讨论了扩大富钾盐使用的相关问题。使用主题分析法对数据进行分析。
所有利益相关者群体对富钾盐的了解和认知程度极低，这是最突出的发现。主要的感知障碍包括消费者对富钾盐产品的需求较低，以及行业投资供应的动力不足。此外，政府利益相关者因担心高钾血症等健康风险而对实施政策表示犹豫。受访者认为提高认知、支持行业研发，以及利用当前政策和举措（如澳大利亚健康星级评级系统）是潜在的推动因素。
在澳大利亚，若要提高利益相关者对改用富钾盐益处的理解，可能需要采取协调一致的宣传策略，传播相关证据并消除误解。可采用多部门方法推动供需增长，该方法侧重于支持行业采用、鼓励消费者需求，并为政策实施提供信息。
