Health impact assessment of a voluntary protocol to decrease salt in bread: what can we learn?

AbstractIssueHypertension (HT) is a major and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which can be caused by excessive salt intake. Portugal has one of the highest mortality rate due to CVD in Europe, mainly due to HT. Thus, reduction of salt intake from food products is one of major strategies advocated to modify blood pressure (BP) and its impact on HT.Description of the problemThe Portuguese population has excessive daily salt intake mainly due to bread consumption. Thus, in 2017 a voluntary ‘Protocol' was signed between stakeholders with the goal to reduce salt content in bread by 2021. Herein, using a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) approach we aimed to estimate the potential effect in BP from the implementation of this ‘Protocol'. Thus, two national surveys were used to find avera ge values of salt intake and BP on population, while estimates of BP reduction were calculated based upon meta-analysis data.ResultsIt was expected that the implementation of the ‘Protocol' could reduce salt ingestion and have a higher BP effect, mostly in more vulnerable populations. In fact, results showed that individuals with low educational level, men, aged and residents in the South region of Portugal were the ones that could more benefit from the ‘Protocol' implem entation. However, this study found that the effects were be very low for all groups analysed, suggesting that only slight health gains can occur.LessonsThe ‘Protocol' as a voluntary agreement is not...
Source: The European Journal of Public Health - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research