A Mobile Phone App Intervention to Promote Healthy Salt Intake Among Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: There is sound evidence associating high salt intake and a greater risk of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases. High salt intake has been observed in several populations worldwide. Therefore, promoting healthier salt consumption has been encouraged as a low-cost strategy to reduce this risk factor. However, these strategies need to be sound, built on theoretical and methodological bases, and consider the target population's context. OBJECTIVE: This protocol aims to describe a mobile phone app intervention to promote healthy salt intake among adults. METHODS: This is an experimental and longitudinal study protocol conducted in three modules. Module 1 refers to the planning of the intervention based on the Behaviour Change Wheel framework. Module 2 is the development of the mobile phone app intervention based on the date of module 1. In module 3, the intervention will be evaluated using a randomized controlled study, with three steps of data collection in a 2-month follow-up in a sample of 86 adults (43 participants for each group: the control group and intervention group) recruited from the primary health care centers of a Brazilian town. The discretionary salt intake questionnaire will assess salt consumption, the app usability will be assessed using the System Usability Scale, and psychosocial variables (habit, intention, and self-efficacy) will also be measured. RESULTS: Recruitment began in October 2021, and the follow-up will end in August 2022. The results of this study are expected to be published in 2023. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study will help people to control salt intake when cooking at home, will stimulate self-care, will work as an alternative or supportive method in the relationship between health care professionals and patients, and will contribute to implementing the app intervention to promote healthy salt intake on a large scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-4s8qyyq; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-4s8qyyq. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/37853.

Towards a taxonomy of behavior change techniques for promoting shared decision making.

BACKGROUND: There is little information about the functions and behavior change techniques (BCTs) needed to implement shared decision making (SDM) in clinical practice. To guide future implementation initiatives, we sought to develop a BCT taxonomy for SDM implementation interventions. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of a 2018 Cochrane review on interventions for increasing the use of shared decision making by healthcare professionals. We examined all 87 studies included in the review. We extracted relevant information on each study intervention into a spreadsheet. Coders had undergone a training workshop on intervention functions and online training on BCT Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1). We performed functions and BCTs coding trials, and identified coding rules. We used Michie's guide for designing behavior change interventions to code the functions and BCTs used in the interventions. Coders met to compare coding and discrepancies were discussed until consensus was reached. Data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Overall, 7 functions, 24 combinations of functions and 32 BCTs were used in the 87 SDM implementation interventions. The mean of functions per intervention was 2.5 and the mean of BCTs per intervention was 3.7. The functions Coercion and Restriction were not found. The most common function was Education (73 studies). Three combinations of functions were most common (e.g: Education + Persuasion, used in 10 studies). The functions associated with more effective SDM implementation interventions were Modeling and Training. The most effective combination of functions was Education + Training + Modeling + Enablement. The most commonly used BCT was Instruction on how to perform the behavior (43 studies). BCTs associated with more effective SDM implementation interventions were: Instruction on how to perform the behavior, Demonstration of the behavior, Feedback on behavior, Pharmacological support, Material reward, and Biofeedback. Twenty-five BCTs were associated with less effective SDM implementation interventions. Four new BCTs were identified: General information to support the behavior, Tailoring, Exercises to conceptually prepare for the behavior, and Experience sharing and learning. CONCLUSIONS: We established a BCT taxonomy specific to the field of SDM to guide future SDM implementation interventions. Four new BCTs should be added to BCTTv1.

What methods have been used to estimate salt intake? A systematic review.

The relationship between salt intake and cardiovascular diseases is a contemporary scientific controversy, which has been attributed to the limits of the measures of salt intake used in the studies. Thus, this article sought to systematically review the literature on the methods used to estimate salt intake in different study designs. Of the 124 articles, 60.5% used only biochemical measures, 26.6% only self-report measures and 12.9% reported the combined use of both methods. The 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was the predominant biochemical method (79.1%) and the Food Frequency Questionnaire was the predominant self-report measure (36.4%). Interventional studies used mostly 24-hour urinary sodium excretion; while longitudinal studies used self-report measures. The question guiding the study and its design, as well as constraints related to costs, sample size and feasibility seems to influence the choice of the type of measurement.

Dietary sources of salt intake in adults and older people: a population-based study in a Brazilian town.

OBJECTIVE: To assess salt intake and its dietary sources using biochemical and self-report methods and to characterize salt intake according to sociodemographic and disease-related variables in a sample of the Brazilian population. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Salt intake was assessed by biochemical (24 h urinary Na excretion) and self-report methods (sodium FFQ, 24 h dietary recall, seasoned-salt questionnaire, discretionary-salt questionnaire and total reported salt intake).ParticipantsAdults and older people (n 517) aged 20-80 years, living in Artur Nogueira, São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: Mean salt intake based on 24 h urinary Na excretion and total reported salt intake was 10·5 and 11·0 g/d, respectively; both measures were significantly correlated. Discretionary salt and seasoned salt were the most important sources of salt intake (68·2 %). Men in the study consumed more salt than women as estimated by 24 h urinary Na excretion (11·7 v. 9·6 g salt/d; P<0·0001). Participants known to be hypertensive added more salt to their meals but consumed less salty ultra-processed foods. Waist circumference in both sexes and BMI were positively correlated with salt intake estimated by 24 h urinary Na excretion. In addition, regression analysis revealed that being a young male or having a high waist circumference was a predictor of higher salt intake. CONCLUSIONS: Salt intake in this population was well above the recommended amount. The main source of salt intake came from salt added during cooking. Salt intake varied according to sex and waist circumference.

Characterization of salt consumption among hypertensives according to socio-demographic and clinical factors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between the behaviors of salt consumption and socio-demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: Sodium consumption was evaluated using the methods: self-reporting (considering 3 different behaviors related to salt consumption), 24- hr dietary recall, discretionary salt, food frequency questionnaire, estimation of total sodium intake and 24-hr urinary excretion of sodium (n=108). RESULTS: Elevated salt intake according to the different measurements of consumption of the nutrient was associated with the variables: male sex, low level of schooling and monthly income, being Caucasian, and being professionally inactive; and with the clinical variables: elevated Body Mass Index, tensional levels, ventricular hypertrophy and the number of medications used. CONCLUSION: The data obtained shows a heterogenous association between the different behaviors related to salt consumption and the socio-demographic and clinical variables. This data can be used to optimize the directing of educational activities with a view to reducing salt consumption among hypertensives.

Characterization of salt consumption among hypertensives according to socio-demographic and clinical factors / Caracterizacao do consumo de sal entre hipertensos segundo fatores sociodemograficos e clinicos / Caracterizacion del consumo de sal entre hipertensos segun factores sociodemograficos y clinicos

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the relationship between the behaviors of salt consumption and socio-demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: sodium consumption was evaluated using the methods: self-reporting (considering 3 different behaviors related to salt consumption), 24- hr dietary recall, discretionary salt, food frequency questionnaire, estimation of total sodium intake and 24-hr urinary excretion of sodium (n=108). RESULTS: elevated salt intake according to the different measurements of consumption of the nutrient was associated with the variables: male sex, low level of schooling and monthly income, being Caucasian, and being professionally inactive; and with the clinical variables: elevated Body Mass Index, tensional levels, ventricular hypertrophy and the number of medications used. CONCLUSION: the data obtained shows a heterogenous association between the different behaviors related to salt consumption and the socio-demographic and clinical variables. This data can be used to optimize the directing of educational activities with a view to reducing salt consumption among hypertensives. .

OBJETIVO: avaliar a relação entre os comportamentos de consumo de sal e variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. MÉTODO: o consumo de sódio foi avaliado segundo os métodos: de autorrelato (visando 3 diferentes comportamentos relacionados ao consumo de sal), recordatório de 24h, sal per capita, questionário de frequência alimentar, estimativa de consumo total de sódio e excreção urinária de sódio (n=108). RESULTADOS: o consumo elevado de sal, segundo as diferentes medidas de consumo do nutriente foi associado às variáveis: sexo masculino, baixo nível de escolaridade e de renda mensal, cor branca, inatividade profissional e às variáveis clínicas: índice de massa corpórea elevada, níveis tensionais, indicadores de hipertrofia ventricular e número de medicações utilizadas. CONCLUSÃO: os dados obtidos mostram uma associação heterogênea entre os diferentes comportamentos relacionados ao consumo de sal e às variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. Esses dados podem ser utilizados para otimizar o direcionamento das atividades educativas, visando a redução do consumo de sal entre hipertensos. .

OBJETIVO: evaluar la relación entre los comportamientos de consumo de sal y variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. MÉTODO: el consumo de sodio fue evaluado según los métodos: de autorrelato (objetivando 3 diferentes comportamientos relacionados al consumo de sal), recordatorio de 24h, sal per cápita, cuestionario de frecuencia alimentaria, estimativa de consumo total de sodio y excreción urinaria de sodio (n=108). RESULTADOS: el consumo elevado de sal según las diferentes medidas de consumo del nutriente fue asociado a las variables: sexo masculino, bajo nivel de escolaridad y de renta mensual, color blanco, inactividad profesional y a las variables clínicas: Índice de Masa Corporal elevada, niveles de tensión, indicadores de hipertrofia ventricular y número de medicaciones utilizadas. CONCLUSIÓN: los datos obtenidos muestran una asociación heterogénea entre los diferentes comportamientos relacionados al consumo de sal y a las variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Estos datos pueden ser utilizados para optimizar la orientación de las actividades educativas objetivando la reducción del consumo de sal entre hipertensos. .