Ad libitum salt use behaviors in college-aged students
Jennifer Erickson, Alyssa Virnig, Amy Olson, PhD, RD, LD
College of Saint Benedict/ St. John’s University
Department of Nutrition
Introduction
Results
Saltshaker use by CSB/SJU students
• High sodium intake increases blood pressure, cardiovascular and
kidney disease
• Salt use was reduced 80% when salt shakers were relocated to the
condiment station
• The current recommended daily allowance for sodium is 1500mg
(3750 mg salt), with the upper limit being 2300mg (5750 mg salt)
22%
32%
Before tasting
After tasting
Never
• Table salt is 40% sodium, 60% potassium
46%
• Salt use was not significantly different between men and women
• Average sodium consumption at CSB/SJU is approximately
3500mg per day- more than double the RDA
• 83% believe their salt use to be at or slightly above the RDA
• 79% of students reported they do not add salt to their food
• 93% correctly reported the majority of the dietary sodium is in the
food they eat rather than salt they add to the food
Salt use per person when salt is located on tables vs.
condiment station
0.1
• 92.5% and 77% recognize high sodium diets can lead to heart
disease and hypertension respectively
• Foods commonly reported as “always salted” were eggs, potatoes,
corn, vegetables and french-fries
0.09
0.08
• Research was approved by IRB
• Three-day control period conducted at both The Refectory and
Gorecki during the dinner meal period to determine typical salt
use
• Three-day experimental period conducted at both facilities
during the dinner period where salt shakers were removed
from tables and relocated to the condiment station
• Saltshakers were and weighed before and after the meal
• Head counts used to estimate average salt use per person
• Signs in napkin holders informed diners of the relocation
during the experimental period
• Statistical analysis conducted using unpaired t-tests.
• Online survey sent to CSB/SJU students to investigate salting
habits and awareness
Salt use (g/person)
Methods
0.07
Total
0.06
Gorecki
0.05
Refectory
Sources of sodium in the US diet
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
Control
Experimental
Conclusions
• Students are aware that most of their sodium comes from
processed foods, and understand the implications of too much
sodium, but only 11% recognize that they consume much more
than the RDA
Amount of sodium CSB/SJU students believe
they consume
Much more than the RDA
Purpose
• To understand the effects of accessibility on salt consumption at
campus dining facilities
• To investigate a potential difference in salt consumption at a
primarily male facility verses a primarily female facility (The
Refectory verses Gorecki)
• To understand CSB/SJU student salting behaviors and perceptions
References
• Frisoli, T.M., Schmieder, R.E., Grodzicki, T., Messerli, F.H. (2012). Salt and hypertension: Is salt dietary reduction worth the effort? The
American Journal of Medicine, 125, 433-439. Doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2011.10.023.
• American Heart Association. (2012). Facts: Salt of the Earth reducing sodium in U.S. diets. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heartpublic/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_304869.pdf.
11% Discretionary use
12% Natural sources
77% Processed and
prepared foods
• 22.3% of students reported salting food before tasting,
suggesting that salting food is a habit
Slightly more than the RDA
• For the 21% of diners who salt their food, relocating the
saltshakers reduced their sodium intake by 107.4mg per meal
Around the RDA
Less than the RDA
• Relocating salt shakers may be helpful for those who use the salt
shaker generously
None
0
10
20
30
40
Response percent (%)
50
• To achieve recommended levels of sodium, students need to
dramatically reduce the amount of convenience and processed
foods in their daily diets