Disparities and Spatial Variations of High Salt Intake in Iran: A Subnational Study of Districts Based on the Small Area Estimation Method Publisher Pubmed



Mohammadi E¹ ; Ghasemi E¹ ; Saeedi Moghaddam S¹ ; Aminorroaya A¹ ; Rezaei N^{1, 2} ; Ghanbari A¹ ; Masinaei M^{1, 3} ; Mohammadi Fateh S^{1, 2} ; Haghshenas R¹ ; Gorgani F¹ ; Kazemi A¹ ; Dilmaghanimarand A¹ ; Farzadfar F^{1, 2}
Source: Public Health Nutrition Published:2021

Abstract

Objective: High salt intake is one of the leading diet-related risk factors for several non-communicable diseases. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of high salt intake in Iran. Design: A modelling study by the small area estimation method, based on a nationwide cross-sectional survey, Iran STEPwise approach to risk factor Surveillance (STEPS) 2016. The modelling estimated the prevalence of high salt intake, defined as a daily salt intake ≥ 5 g in all districts of Iran based on data from available districts. The modelling results were provided in different geographical and socio-economic scales to make the comparison possible across the country. Setting: 429 districts of all provinces of Iran, 2016. Participants: 18 635 salt intake measurements from individuals 25 years old and above who participated in the Iran STEPS 2016 survey. Results: All districts in Iran had a high prevalence of high salt intake. The estimated prevalence of high salt intake among females of all districts ranged between 72·68 % (95 % UI 58·48, 84·81) and 95·04 % (95 % UI 87·10, 100). Estimated prevalence for males ranged between 88·44 % (95 % UI 80·29, 96·15) and 98·64 % (95 % UI 94·97, 100). In all categorisations, males had a significantly higher prevalence of high salt intake. Among females, the population with the lower economic status had a higher salt consumption than the participants with higher economic status by investigating the concentration index. Conclusions: Findings of this study highlight the high salt intake as a prominent risk factor in all Iran regions, despite some variations in different scales. More suitable population-wide policies are warranted to handle this public health issue in Iran. © The Author(s) 2021.