The Science of Salt: A Regularly Updated Systematic Review of the Implementation of Salt Reduction Interventions (November 2015 to February 2016)

Abstract

The objective of this periodic review was to identify, summarize, and appraise studies relating to the implementation of salt reduction strategies that were retrieved between November 2015 and February 2016. From the established MEDLINE search, 56 studies were identified as relevant to the implementation of salt reduction initiatives. Detailed appraisal was performed on seven studies that evaluated the impact of salt reduction interventions. While study quality varied, all had one or more risks related to bias. There was consistent evidence, from three studies, demonstrating that setting-based structural interventions to improve the nutritional composition of foods were effective in reducing salt but mixed evidence in relation to the effectiveness of behavioral interventions. The development of an evaluation guidance framework that supports scientific rigor and external validity would aid future design and interpretation of studies evaluating salt reduction interventions, particularly for low-resource countries.