Awareness and Use of Low-Sodium Salt Substitutes and Its Impact on 24-h Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion in China—A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The use of low-sodium salt substitute (LSSS) has the potential to reduce sodium and increase potassium intake. LSSS has been available in the Chinese market for years. However, its real-world use and impact on sodium/potassium intake is unclear. Baseline data of 4000 adult individuals who participated in three similarly designed randomized controlled trials were pooled together for this analysis. Self-reported awareness and use of LSSS were collected using a standardized questionnaire, and the participants’ 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion was used to estimate their dietary intake. Mixed-effects models were developed to assess the relationship between LSSS and 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion. 32.0% of the participants reported awareness of LSSS and 11.7% reported its current use. After adjusting for location, sex, age, and education, compared with the group of participants unaware of LSSS, participants who were aware of but not using LSSS and those who were using LSSS had a lower 24-h urinary sodium excretion by −356.1 (95% CI: −503.9, −205.9) mg/d and −490.6 (95% CI: −679.2, −293.7) mg/d, respectively (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found for 24-h urinary potassium excretion or sodium-to-potassium ratio among the three groups (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the findings of low usage of LSSS and the reduced urinary sodium excretion associated with the awareness and use of LSSS provide further support for the prometon of LSSS as a key salt reduction strategy in China.