Zhang Puhong, Deputy Director and Senior Researcher of George Global Health Institute (China)
Professor He Fengjun, Global Health Research Center, Queen Mary University, London, UK
High salt diet is the main cause of hypertension. Elevated blood pressure will induce stroke and heart disease, which has also become the primary cause of health and life loss in China and even the world. In China, whether children or adults, high salt diet is very common. According to the survey data of China UK Salt Reduction Action (ASC Project) in 2020, the average per capita salt intake of adults in China is 11g/day, more than twice the amount recommended by the World Health Organization (no more than 5g). More and more evidence shows that properly reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. WHO has also vigorously promoted salt reduction as one of the most cost-effective strategies to deal with the global burden of chronic diseases. However, in China, people have become accustomed to salty tastes, making it difficult for people to change their cooking and eating habits.
In order to find a solution, the George Global Health Institute (China) and the Global Health Research Center of Queen Mary University in London name="_GoBack">have explored a highly feasible way to reduce salt after nearly ten years of research: health education for pupils and parents, and then students urge the whole family to eat less salt. The study covered Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, and Yueyang, Hunan Province, and included nearly 600 children and 1200 parents from 54 primary schools. In practical application, salt reduction knowledge and skills, as a part of primary school health education curriculum, are implemented through the small program "AppSalt" installed on parents' mobile phones and the progress management small program installed on teachers' mobile phones. AppSalt covers routine health education courses and salt reduction education courses. Family members should complete 20 5-minute online courses, as well as follow-up Q&A and practical activities under the guidance of small programs. For example, parents and children cook low salt dishes together, and go to the supermarket to buy low salt food. In this process, only adults can use small programs, and children are responsible for ensuring that parents complete the curriculum and related activities with them. The applet also supports assessing family salt intake and its main sources by recording family members' meals. After 12 months of practical application, this innovative health education method involving family members can reduce parents' salt intake by 8% and blood pressure level.
Most developed countries' salt intake mainly comes from packaged food, and the salt reduction strategy is also mainly reflected in the design of high salt warning for packaged food and the setting of sodium content standards. Chinese people have a high intake of salt, and more than 80% of it comes from salt and salty condiments added in daily cooking. Therefore, it is urgent to cultivate Chinese residents' eating habits of eating less salt, and explore effective strategies to promote less salt cooking. School is a highly organized place. Integrating salt reduction into innovative health education courses will benefit almost all children and families in the long run, which has great potential in reducing the salt intake of the whole population and developing other health habits. If the means used in the new research can be popularized nationwide, it will effectively promote the national salt reduction action, thus reducing the salt intake of Chinese people and reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. ▲
key word: Health Education
member of family
eating habits
