Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study
The association between high salt intake and elevated blood pressure levels has been well-documented. However, studies on how effectively this knowledge translates into actionable practices, particularly across different ethnic groups, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, atti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114285/ |
| _version_ | 1848866448440557568 |
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| author | Chia, Yook Chin Ching, Siew Mooi Chew, Ming Tsuey Devaraj, Navin Kumar Oui, Jethro Ee Keat Lim, Hooi Min Chew, Bee Nah Mohamed, Mohazmi Ooi, Pei Boon Cheng, Maong Hui Beh, Hooi Chin Chung, Felicia Fei-Lei |
| author_facet | Chia, Yook Chin Ching, Siew Mooi Chew, Ming Tsuey Devaraj, Navin Kumar Oui, Jethro Ee Keat Lim, Hooi Min Chew, Bee Nah Mohamed, Mohazmi Ooi, Pei Boon Cheng, Maong Hui Beh, Hooi Chin Chung, Felicia Fei-Lei |
| author_sort | Chia, Yook Chin |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The association between high salt intake and elevated blood pressure levels has been well-documented. However, studies on how effectively this knowledge translates into actionable practices, particularly across different ethnic groups, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards dietary salt intake across ethnicities and determine its association with hypertension. 5128 Malaysian adults recruited from a national blood pressure screening study completed questionnaires on demographics, and KAP related to dietary salt intake. There were 57.4% Malay, 23.5% Chinese, 10.4% Indian, and 8.7% individuals of other ethnic groups. Overall, more than 90% of the participants knew that a high salt intake causes serious health problems, but only around one-third knew the relationship between high salt intake and strokes and heart failure. Participants of different ethnic groups displayed significant differences in the KAP domains, where Indians generally exhibited better knowledge, attitudes, and reported better practices such as reading salt labels and using spices. Those who were unaware of the difference between salt and sodium and who reported not reading salt labels had higher odds of having elevated blood pressure. These findings demonstrate that while there is a suboptimal translation of salt knowledge into practice in Malaysia, with significant differences in KAP observed between ethnic groups, the potential of improving health outcomes by improving the clarity and awareness of salt labels is substantial. Tailored education promoting salt-label reading, minimizing processed foods intake and discretionary salt use should be ethnic-specific to better curb this escalating hypertension epidemic. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:20:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-114285 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:20:46Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1142852025-01-13T07:14:13Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114285/ Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study Chia, Yook Chin Ching, Siew Mooi Chew, Ming Tsuey Devaraj, Navin Kumar Oui, Jethro Ee Keat Lim, Hooi Min Chew, Bee Nah Mohamed, Mohazmi Ooi, Pei Boon Cheng, Maong Hui Beh, Hooi Chin Chung, Felicia Fei-Lei The association between high salt intake and elevated blood pressure levels has been well-documented. However, studies on how effectively this knowledge translates into actionable practices, particularly across different ethnic groups, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards dietary salt intake across ethnicities and determine its association with hypertension. 5128 Malaysian adults recruited from a national blood pressure screening study completed questionnaires on demographics, and KAP related to dietary salt intake. There were 57.4% Malay, 23.5% Chinese, 10.4% Indian, and 8.7% individuals of other ethnic groups. Overall, more than 90% of the participants knew that a high salt intake causes serious health problems, but only around one-third knew the relationship between high salt intake and strokes and heart failure. Participants of different ethnic groups displayed significant differences in the KAP domains, where Indians generally exhibited better knowledge, attitudes, and reported better practices such as reading salt labels and using spices. Those who were unaware of the difference between salt and sodium and who reported not reading salt labels had higher odds of having elevated blood pressure. These findings demonstrate that while there is a suboptimal translation of salt knowledge into practice in Malaysia, with significant differences in KAP observed between ethnic groups, the potential of improving health outcomes by improving the clarity and awareness of salt labels is substantial. Tailored education promoting salt-label reading, minimizing processed foods intake and discretionary salt use should be ethnic-specific to better curb this escalating hypertension epidemic. Springer Nature 2024-09-02 Article PeerReviewed Chia, Yook Chin and Ching, Siew Mooi and Chew, Ming Tsuey and Devaraj, Navin Kumar and Oui, Jethro Ee Keat and Lim, Hooi Min and Chew, Bee Nah and Mohamed, Mohazmi and Ooi, Pei Boon and Cheng, Maong Hui and Beh, Hooi Chin and Chung, Felicia Fei-Lei (2024) Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study. Hypertension Research, 48 (1). art. no. 103. pp. 131-147. ISSN 0916-9636; eISSN: 1348-4214 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-024-01851-z?error=cookies_not_supported&code=f754e64a-8de2-436f-a432-bd58ec20d7b4 10.1038/s41440-024-01851-z |
| spellingShingle | Chia, Yook Chin Ching, Siew Mooi Chew, Ming Tsuey Devaraj, Navin Kumar Oui, Jethro Ee Keat Lim, Hooi Min Chew, Bee Nah Mohamed, Mohazmi Ooi, Pei Boon Cheng, Maong Hui Beh, Hooi Chin Chung, Felicia Fei-Lei Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title | Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114285/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114285/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114285/ |