Exploring Dietary Salt Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among People of African Descent in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study

Background/Objectives:

People of African Descent (PoAD) in the United Kingdom (UK) are at an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), partly due to dietary habits such as high salt intake. This study sought to understand the dietary salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and practises (KAP) of PoAD in the UK, to inform the development of culturally tailored interventions to reduce dietary salt intake in this population.

Methods:

We collected data on KAP from 21 PoAD across various regions in the UK through online semi-structured interviews and analysed them using reflexive thematic analysis (TA).

Results:

The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 70 years (43 ± 11). Six overarching themes were identified: (i) the multifaceted roles of salt in culinary practises, (ii) the increased awareness of health risks associated with high salt intake, (iii) the existence of knowledge gaps regarding recommended daily salt intake, (iv) the cultural influences on salt consumption levels, (v) the lack of engagement with food labels, and (vi) a limited awareness of salt reduction initiatives.

Conclusions:

Our findings highlight the significance of salt in the culture and culinary practises of PoAD. Despite general awareness of the health risks of excessive salt consumption, there was a notable deficiency in knowledge about the recommended salt intake levels as well as minimal engagement with nutritional labelling. These findings underline a need for culturally sensitive health interventions that integrate culinary practises, beliefs, and preferences of PoAD, aiming to effectively reduce salt intake and mitigate associated health risks.