THE DIETARY BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION FOR REDUCING SALT AND SODIUM AMONG THE RISK OF HYPERTENSION, UDON THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

     The quasi-experimental research aimed to compare the knowledge and sodium salt consumption behaviors in food among individuals at risk for hypertension and to evaluate the estimated sodium content in their diet. The sample consisted of 105 individuals who were purposefully selected. The research instruments included: 1) activities designed to modify sodium consumption behaviors, 2) a questionnaire assessing knowledge about consuming high salt and sodium foods, and 3) a behavior assessment questionnaire regarding high salt and sodium food consumption. The validity of the instruments was confirmed with IOC 0.67 - 1.00, The reliability ​​were 0.82 and 0.80, respectively. 0.82, and 0.80. respectively. The research was conducted from April to June 2024, over a period of 12 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative statistics with pair t-tests.
     The findings revealed that the majority of the sample was female (69.9%), with an average age of 56 years, ranging from 36 to 91 years. Most were farmers (34.28%) and had a primary education level (77.73%). A significant portion (66.7%) were suspected of having hypertension. The average knowledge score regarding high salt and sodium food intake before participating in the behavioral modification program was moderate (𝑥̅=10.15, SD=1.65), which significantly increased to a high level after intervention (𝑥̅=13.28, SD=1.30) (p-value = 0.00). The average cooking behavior score improved from a moderate level before the program (𝑥̅=2.25, SD=0.50) to a good level after the program (𝑥̅=2.54, SD=0.53) (p-value = 0.00). Comparing the average systolic blood pressure before and after the behavioral modification program showed a significant reduction from 138.4 mmHg (SD=6.42) to 122.9 mmHg (SD=6.35) (p-value = 0.00). Similarly, the average diastolic blood pressure decreased from 81.73 mmHg (SD=7.81) to 75.94 mmHg (SD=7.41) (p-value = 0.00). The mean salinity of the foods was 0.674% (SD=0.26), which was significantly reduced by 0.959 % (SD=0.38) (p-value = 0.00).