Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Sodium Intake in College Students

Sodium consumption is above the recommended intake in college students, a risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Poor nutrition knowledge and negative attitudes are determinants of unhealthy dietary practices, which contribute to a low diet quality, including high sodium intake. Little is known about the psychosocial factors and behaviors surrounding sodium intake in college students. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning dietary sodium in college students utilizing a previously validated self-administered online survey. Students enrolled in introductory level courses were invited to participate in the survey, which included questions assessing: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) knowledge (27 items with 5 response options including ‘definitely wrong’, ‘probably wrong’, ‘not sure’, ‘probably true’, and ‘definitely true’; a score of 1 was assigned for correct answers and 0 for incorrect answers including ‘not sure’ with a higher ...