Evaluation of a Healthy Chinese Take-Out Sodium-Reduction Initiative in Philadelphia Low-Income Communities and Neighborhoods:

Objectives:Sodium reduction in restaurant foods is important because 77% of sodium in the United States is consumed by eating prepared and restaurant foods. We evaluated a sodium-reduction intervention, Healthy Chinese Take-Out Initiative, among Chinese take-out restaurants in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our objectives were to (1) analyze changes in the sodium content of food samples and (2) collect data on changes in chefs’ and owners’ knowledge about the health risks of sodium overconsumption, perceptions of the need for sodium reduction, self-efficacy for lowering sodium use, and perceptions of training needs for sodium-reduction strategies.Methods:The initiative trained chefs from 206 Chinese take-out restaurants on strategies to reduce sodium in prepared dishes. We analyzed changes in the sodium content of the 3 most frequently ordered dishes—shrimp and broccoli, chicken lo mein, and General Tso’s chicken—from baseline (July-September 2012) to 36 months after baseline (Jul...