• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.719-723
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: South Korean's sodium consumption level is more than twice the upper limit level suggested by the WHO. Steep increases in the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in Korea necessitate more effective sodium reduction programs. This study was conducted in order to compare sodium intake-related eating behaviors and key psychosocial factors according to age group and gender. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Using an online survey, a total of 1,564 adults (20-59 years old) considered to be geographically representative of South Korea were recruited and surveyed. The major outcomes were perceived behaviors, knowledge, intentions, and self-efficacy related to sodium intake. RESULTS: The results show that perceived behavior and level of self-efficacy related to low sodium consumption differed by age and gender. Female participants showed better behavior and intention towards low sodium intake than male counterparts. Young participants in their 20s showed the lowest intention to change their current sodium intake as well as lowest self-efficacy measures. CONCLUSIONS: Future sodium reduction interventions should be developed with tailored messages targeting different age and gender groups. Specifically, interventions can be planned and implemented at the college level or for workers in their early career to increase their intention and self-efficacy as a means of preventing future health complications associated with high sodium intake.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.166-174
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to compare dietary self-efficacy for sodium intake reduction and dietary behaviors by eating areas. Subjects (797 males and 767 females) were classified according to perceived dietary habit levels related to sodium intake (lowest: ${\leq}10$ (n=434), low: $11{\sim}{\leq}13$ (n=471), high: $14{\sim}{\leq}15$ (n=360), highest: $16{\leq}$ (n=299)) using an online survey with a sample that was geographically representative of the population. The highest group was significantly younger and had a higher student proportion than the lowest group. Dining contexts regarding home led to a significantly higher sodium intake in the highest group, but it was eating out for the lowest group. The highest group had a significantly lower intention to reduce sodium intake compared to the lowest group. In the home cooked meals, the highest group displayed a significantly lower cooking frequency, less effort with respect to a low sodium diet and cooking habits related to sodium intake as compared to the lowest group. Also, regarding eating out and food service, the highest group exhibited significantly lower efforts and dietary behaviors to reduce sodium intake than the lowest group. The dietary score for sodium reduction behavior in the highest group was significantly lower compared to the lowest group, for home cooked meals, eating out, as well as food service. Thus, dietary guidelines and nutrition education for the reduction of sodium intake by eating areas need to be developed and provided.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.167-176
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• 2015

This study compares salt-related dietary patterns according to sodium intake. A survey was conducted with 257 college students(130 male and 127 female students) in the Busan area. Dish Frequency Questionnaire 70(DFQ 70) was used to quantitatively estimate sodium intake. A short dish frequency questionnaire(DFQ 15) was used to screen subjects with high or low- salt intake. The sodium intake of male students based on DFQ 70 was significantly higher than that of female students(p<0.05). Sodium intake has significant negative effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure(p<0.05). In the high-salt intake(HS) group, classified by DFQ 15, the number of male students was significantly higher than that of female students(p<0.01). The systolic blood pressure of the HS group was significantly higher than that of the low-salt intake(LS) group(p<0.05). Salt-related dietary behavior score and eating habit score for the HS group were significantly higher than those for the LS group(p<0.01). The sodium intake of the HS group based on DFQ 70 was significantly higher than that of the LS group(p<0.01). In these results, college students in Busan area showed high blood pressure and high sodium intake compared to Korean DRIs. The results indicate a need for various education programs to help college students practice a low-sodium diet.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.316-324
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary behavior and nutritional knowledge related to sodium intake in high school students. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 400 high school students (200 boys) in Incheon, Korea. Survey data were analyzed according to gender and degree of obesity. The distribution of the degree of obesity was the highest in 231 normal weight individuals (57.8%), followed by 89 underweight (22.3%), 41 overweight (10.3%), and 39 obese (9.8%). The sodium-related undesirable dietary behavior score was 2.9 points out of 5 points. The detailed dietary behavior scores of 'I eat kimchi when I eat instant noodles or noodles' and 'I like dried fish with salt' were significantly higher in boys than in girls (p<0.05). It was found that boys consumed more frequently high sodium foods, such as pizza, hamburger, and hotdog than girls. According to the degree of obesity, the underweight group consumed more kimchi fried rice and potato chips frequently than the other groups (p<0.05). Preference for salty taste was not significantly different among the groups by gender and degree of obesity. Sodium-related nutritional knowledge score was 5.3 points out of 10 and which was significantly higher in girls or normal weight group than in boys or obesity group. These results suggest that nutritional education on sodium intake is needed because the nutritional knowledge of adolescents is relatively low. Moreover, intensive nutritional guidance is required, especially in boys or adolescents with undesirable degree of obesity.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2013

Dietary sodium intake is considered one of the major causal factors for hypertension. Thus, to control the increase of blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension-related clinical complications, a reduction in sodium intake is recommended. The present study aimed at determining the association of dietary sodium intake with meal and snack frequency, snacking time, and taste preference in Korean young adults aged 20-26 years, using a 125-item dish-frequency questionnaire. The mean dietary sodium intakes of men and women were 270.6 mmol/day and 213.1 mmol/day, which were approximately 310% and 245% of the daily sodium intake goal for Korean men and women, respectively. Dietary sodium intake was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure in the total group, and BMI in the total and men-only groups. In the total and men-only groups, those who consumed meals more times per day consumed more dietary sodium, but the number of times they consumed snacks was negatively correlated with dietary sodium intake in the total, men-only, and women-only groups. In addition, those who consumed snacks in the evening consumed more sodium than those who did so in the morning in the men-only group. The sodium intake was also positively associated with preference for salty and sweet taste in the total and women-only groups. Such a high intake of sodium in these young subjects shows that a reduction in sodium intake is important for the prevention of hypertension and related diseases in the future.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.647-659
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• 2000

o assess the food intake and the sodium and potassium intakes and urinary excretion of preschool children in Pusan and to evaluate the relationship among variables dietary behaviors food and nutrient intake and 24hr urinary sodium and potassium excretion were measured with 97 subjects. The mean sodium and potassium intakes were 1890. 1mg(82,2meq) and 1479.7mg(37.8meq) respectively. The mean potassium intake(p<0.05) and density(p<0.01) were significantly low at the group who had food intake pattern absen of fruit and daily groups. The mean urinary sodium and potassium excretion were 735.3mg(32.0meq) and 418.7mg(10.7meq) respectively. The mean sodium intake(p<0.01) and urinary excretion were 735.3mg(32.0meq) and 418.7mg(10.7meq) respectively. The mean sodium intake(p<0.01) and urinary excretion (p<0.001, p<0.001) energy intake(p<0.01) sodium intake and density (p<0.001, p<0.05) the food number and intake frequency of vegetable group consumed (p<0.01, p<0.01) dietary frequency score(p<0.05) and negative correlations with the food number and frequency of dairy group consumed (p<0.05 p<0.05) The urinary potassium excretion showed positive correlations with height and weight(p<0.05, p<0.01) urine volume and urinary creatinie excretion(p<0.01 p<0.001) potassium intake(p<0.05) food number and intake frequency of dairy group consumed (p<0.05, p<0.001). Based on the results urinary sodium excretion was related to age sodium intake and food intake of vegetable and dairy group and urinary potassium excretion was related to potassium intake and food intake of dairy group. So nutritional education is needed in order to decrease sodium intake especially from food intake of vegetable group when preschool children have less food intake of diary group,.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.175-191
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The scientific evidence of a sodium-obesity association is limited by sodium intake assessments. Our specific aim is to synthesize the association between dietary sodium intake and obesity across the sodium intake assessments as evidenced by systematic reviews in adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A systematic search identified systematic reviews comparing the association of dietary sodium intakes with obesity-related outcomes such as body mass index (BMI), body weight, waist circumference, and risk of (abdominal) obesity. We searched PubMed on October 24, 2022. To assess the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), we employed the ROBIS tool. RESULTS: This review included 3 systematic reviews, consisting of 39 unique observational studies (35 cross-sectional studies and 4 longitudinal studies) and 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We found consistently positive associations between dietary sodium intake and obesity-related outcomes in cross-sectional studies. Studies that used 24-h urine collection indicated a greater BMI for those with higher sodium intake (mean difference = 2.27 kg/m²; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-2.51; P < 0.001; I² = 77%) compared to studies that used spot urine (mean difference = 1.34 kg/m²; 95% CI, 1.13-1.55; P < 0.001; I² = 95%) and dietary methods (mean difference = 0.85 kg/m²; 95% CI, 0.1-1.51; P < 0.05; I² = 95%). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative synthesis of the systematic reviews has shown that cross-sectional associations between dietary sodium intake and obesity outcomes were substantially different across the sodium intake assessments. We need more high-quality prospective cohort studies and RCTs using 24-h urine collection to examine the causal effects of sodium intake on obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.121-129
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• 2021

Sodium intake has been associated with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study examined the demographic factors related to HRQoL and whether there is an association between sodium intake and HRQoL in adults residing in rural areas. A total of 1,980 adults (aged ≥20 years) were selected from a cross-sectional study conducted between December 2013 and February 2014 in Gyeongju, South Korea. The sodium intake and HRQoL were measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire and the EuroQol Five-Dimension (EQ-5D) (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression), respectively. The education levels (<5 years) were inversely associated with all five dimensions of HRQoL. Men had better EQ-5D scores for each of the five components examined. Adults living with spouses had better scores related to usual activities and anxiety/depression, whereas widowers had decreased scores of mobility and self-care. Unlike older adults aged 70-79 years, adults aged <60 years were more likely to have greater scores related to mobility, usual activities, and pain/discomfort. The income levels were also inversely related to the scores for self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Sodium intake was positively associated with the HRQoL related to self-care, usual activities, and pain/discomfort, but it was negatively associated with anxiety/depression. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the demographic factors and sodium intake were independently associated with HRQoL. The results highlight the need to provide tailored, targeted policies and interventions that consider personal characteristics and dietary intake to improve the overall HRQoL in adults residing in rural areas.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

This study was performed to understand recognition and behaviors related to sodium intake of Korean adults. The data were collected from subjects including 267 male and 285 female adults in nationwide and compared by gender and by age. We found that the male group showed significantly higher smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise does the female group. The older group (40 to 59 years) revealed significantly higher exercise and lower alcohol drinking; however general disease and hypertension prevalence, diet therapy practice, and meditation for hypertension were higher. Recognizing sodium levels of foods containing high-sodium, and sodium-nutriture labels when purchasing foods, and knowing differences between salt and sodium of the male group or recognizing sodium levels of foods containing high-sodium of the older group was worse than the other. Among the 32 food behaviors, only 12 were identified as significantly correlated to sodium intake levels including behaviors of preferring Chinese and Japanese foods to Western foods, preferring kimchi to raw vegetables, completely consuming soup, stew, noodle liquid, liking of dried fish and salted mackerel, frequent eat-outs or delivered foods, and so forth. There were significant differences between gender or age groups in terms of sodium intake-increasing behaviors; the male group showed higher behaviors of preferring salty taste and eating all broths. And the older group revealed higher behavior of adding table salt as well as the previous two, however, the younger group showed more behaviors of eat-outs or delivered foods and not the liquid of kimchi.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2024

Purpose: Sodium is essentially required for homeostasis and physiological functions, but excessive sodium consumption increases the risk of obesity and other chronic disorders. Korean studies on the sodium-obesity relationship are limited, and thus, this study was undertaken to determine the nature of the relationship between sodium intake and obesity in Korean adults. Methods: Forty-two participants were divided into 2 groups according to body mass index (BMI, non-obese BMI < 25 kg/m², obese BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²). Dietary intakes and eating habits were analyzed using 3-day food records and a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric data were obtained from bioimpedance results, and fasting glucose and lipid levels were measured. Results: Mean weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, and body fat mass were greater in the obese group than in the non-obese group for men and women. Skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass were higher in obese women than in non-obese women. Biochemical data were no different in these two subgroups except triglycerides (TGs), which were higher in obese women. Nutrient intakes were not significantly different in obese and non-obese groups. However, obese men consumed excessive sodium, while obese women consumed slightly more than non-obese women. Obese men preferred salty foods and tended to overeat. Positive correlations were found between sodium intake and weight in men and percent body fat mass (PBFM) in women. Correlation analysis (adjusted for energy intake) of the relation between sodium intake and obesity-related factors showed sodium intake was positively correlated with PBFM and TG in women. Conclusion: This anthropometric and biochemical data analysis emphasizes the need for awareness and interventions to mitigate the health risks of elevated sodium consumption. Our findings should aid future studies on the relationship between sodium and obesity and contribute to preventing and managing this metabolic condition.