Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate sodium consumption and related psychosocial factors among hypertensive patients and normal adults through questionnaire development. The Theory of Planned Behavior provided the basis for the study. The mean blood pressure of subjects was 117. 1 mmHg/78.55mgHg in normal adults(N-218), 159.65mmHg/102.05mmHg(systolic/diastolic) in hypertensive group(N=219) and the sodium consumption was 5219.4${\pm}$1821.3mg in normal adults and 4631.4${\pm}$1749.1mg in hypertensive group. The results of Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of being hypetensive group were increasd as subjects felt that dalty food (OR=1.5) (OR=0.8). The odds of beign hypertensive group increased as subject received more support. With respect to perceived control, the odds of being hypertensive group were increased as subjects felt more confident in contolling salty intake when spouse likes to take salty food(OR=1.4). In contrast, subjects felt less confident in contolling sodium consumption when they took medicine(OR=0.8). Study findings revealed that all three factors, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control contributed to the model for explaining intentions, with subjective norms being most important. This findings provided the empirical evidence for the TPB in explaining salt intake. This study suggest that educational interventions for hypertension patients focus on changing sodium consumption through changing attitude toward high sodium consumption, subjective norms, perceived control over reducing sodium consumption of specific situations, specially subjective norms and perceived control. In addition, interventions may include strategies to change attitudes toward sodium consumption by helping hypertensive patients realize negative beliefs and modifying positive beliefs and to elicit and maintain subjective norm from doctors, family and neighbors, and to increase control beliefs for reducing sodium consumption.(Korean J Nutrition 33(8) : 833-839, 2000)
