Ps-c35-2: baseline knowledge and sociodemographic factors related to salt-intake behavior among hypertensive individuals in bangladesh: sub-study of a randomized controlled trial

Excess salt consumption increases blood pressure which is a leading risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this sub-study was designed among the rural hypertensive individuals to assess the baseline knowledge about hypertension, dietary salt intake behavior and identify the potential predictors for urinary salt excretion in Bangladesh. A total of 420 participants were enrolled after meeting the eligibility criteria during the 12 months of the study period. The participants received behavior changes related to short message services (SMS) and face-to-face education from community health workers. Our study results found that most of the participants (80%) had positive knowledge of HTN. This study showed that the mean value of overnight urinary sodium excretion was 10.65 ± 3.00 at 1st-month follow-up and 10.24 ± 3.03 at the endline. We found mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly related to higher salt-intake (p = 0.009, p = 0.011 and p = 0.005 respectively). However, participants had improved their MUAC, SBP, and DBP status than their 1st follow-up period, but still, significant associations were observed between them (p = 0.033, p = 0.011, and p = 0.002 respectively). In conclusion, most of our study participants had satisfactory knowledge related to HTN and salt intake. Besides, our study results found that sodium excretion among hypertensive participants was higher, and higher urinary sodium excretion was associated with overweight and BP in adults. Nonetheless, the real salt intake practice among the Bangladeshi population is still unknown which demands further research.