Urinary Sodium Excretion and Frequently Consumed High Sodium Foods by Civil Servants in South West Nigeria

One of the major dietary risk factors for mortality worldwide is a high consumption of sodium.

Current guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension indicate that a reduction in sodium Na+ intake levels and an increase in potassium K+ are paramount to the blood pressure control. Salt Intake of Apparently Healthy Civil Servants in Abeokuta Southwest Nigeria was assessed using Lithium tagged salt method. A 24 hr dietary recall method was used to assess individual household salt intake while food frequency questionnaires were used to determine the frequency of consumption of foods high in sodium and potassium contents of foods.

Using the Lithium tagged method the total intake of salt was 6.29 ± 28 g/day and 6.86 ± 5 in men and women respectively. The mean of the total potassium intake in men was 2.40 ± 10 g/day and 2.3 ± 22 g/day in women. The mean intake of 24 hours’ dietary recall in men was 7.87 ± 25 g/day and 7.89 ± 21 g/day in women. Most (73%) of the subjects had perception that they consumed too little salt, out of which 45% were women. Thirteen percent perceived that they consumed too much salt, out of which 7% of them were women. Only fourteen percent perceived that they consumed moderate salt, among which 8% were women. The salt intake of the subjects is high and must be reduced to meet the guidelines of World Health Organization guideline.