New Zealand Consumers Report Confusion About Sodium Information on Food Labels Authors of a 2013 study published in Public Health Nutrition conducted in-depth interviews exploring consumer knowledge and understanding of food labels and food purchasing behavior related to sodium intake. Authors analyzed findings from 16 New Zealand adults ages 28 to 63 years and found that consumers lack the background knowledge necessary to understand and control their own sodium intake, and are unable to interpret sodium information on food labels. According to study authors, there is a need to educate New Zealand consumers on the health benefits of sodium reduction and how to reduce sodium in their diets, including understanding food labels.
The study, “Sodium and Nutrition Labelling: A Qualitative Study Exploring New Zealand Consumers’ Food Purchasing Behaviours” may be found here: http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPHN%2FPHN17_05%2FS1368980013001079a.pdf&code=b2a263e1732435b7892e95a86818a91c.
Iranian Adults with Uncontrolled Hypertension Have Higher Sodium Intake, Study Finds Results of a 2013 cross-sectional study of 671 Iranian adults between 30 and 60 years of age with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension found that average sodium intake was significantly greater in the uncontrolled group compared to the controlled group; 3,599 mg and 2,654 mg per day, respectively. Study authors administered a four-part questionnaire to measure participant's knowledge and illness perceptions related to sodium, and sodium intake was collected via 3-day food records. Results also indicate that sodium intake was greater in those with poor knowledge and understanding of the association of high sodium intake and illness compared to those with better knowledge and understanding.
The study, entitled “Sodium Intake, Dietary Knowledge, and Illness Perceptions of Controlled and Uncontrolled Rural Hypertensive Patients” and published in the International Journal of Hypertension, may be found here: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijhy/2014/245480/.