Proportion of Clients at Faculty of Medicine KKU's Cafeteria with Sufficient Knowledge Regarding Sodium Intake

Abstract

Background and Objective: Prevalence of chronic diseases tend to increase. Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen university (KKU) has started a campaign to reduce sodium intake among clients of Faculty of Medicine KKU’s cafeteria. However, there is still no information about knowledge regarding sodium intake of the clients. Our objective was to find out proportion of clients who have knowledge about it.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with study population of 3,000 clients. The systematic random sampling was done. The sample size was 500. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires, each one contained of general information, perception of reducing sodium intake campaign, knowledge about sodium consumption, and eating behavior. All data were then analyzed by SPSS version 19 to find out frequencies, central tendency, and Epi Info 6 for 95% CI.

Results: Questionnaire response rate was 76.6% (383/500). Proportion of clients who had knowledge about sodium consumption was 56.9% (95% CI: 51.8, 61.9). Median of score on knowledge about sodium consumption was 5 points (P₂₅=3, P₇₅=7). 77.4% (285/368) had knowledge that people without chronic kidney disease should limit their sodium intake, but as less as 9.3% (34/366) had knowledge about daily amount of salt that should be restricted.

Conclusion: Proportion of the clients who have knowledge regarding sodium consumption was low. So, it’s necessary to improve knowledge about sodium intake, especially in the aspect of daily recommended amount of sodium intake.