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Sodium intake of 1 to 5-year-old children: the STRIP project. The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention
1Cardiorespiratory Research Unit, University of Turku, Finland. terhi.heino@utu.fi
Insights
This study found that children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
- Dietary Sodium Intake
Background:
- The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) is a long-term trial focused on preventing coronary heart disease in children.
- Dietary fat modification was the primary focus of the intervention, with no specific advice given on reducing sodium intake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze sodium consumption and identify dietary sodium sources in young children (1-5 years old).
- To assess the impact of a fat-focused nutrition intervention on children's sodium intake.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, randomized trial involving 200 children (100 intervention, 100 control).
- Food consumption recorded over 3-4 days at 13 months, 3 years, and 5 years of age.
- Sodium intake calculated using the Micro Nutrica program.
Main Results:
- Mean daily sodium intake increased with age, reaching 2200 mg at 5 years.
- Intervention children consumed similar or slightly higher sodium amounts than controls.
- Added salt in foods accounted for half of sodium intake; milk, meat, bread, and cereals were other key sources.
Conclusions:
- Nutrition counseling focused on fat quality had minimal impact on children's sodium intake.
- Dietary counseling should incorporate salt reduction advice for children.
- Encouraging low-sodium food products is crucial for reducing excessive sodium consumption in children.
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to examine sodium intake and dietary sodium sources of 1-5-y-old children in a prospective, randomized long-term coronary heart disease prevention trial, focused on dietary fat modification. Counselling included no advice about reducing salt in the children's diets. Food consumption of 100 intervention children and 100 control children was recorded for 3 consecutive days at the age of 13 mo and for 4 consecutive days at the ages of 3 and 5 y. Sodium intakes were calculated using the Micro Nutrica program. Children's mean daily sodium (NaCl) consumption (intervention and control children combined) was 1600+/-527 mg (4.0+/-1.3 g), 1900+/-504 mg (4.8+/-1.3 g) and 2200+/-531 mg (5.5+/-1.3 g) at the ages of 13 mo and 3 and 5 y, respectively. The intervention children consumed as much or slightly more sodium than the control children at all ages studied. Half the sodium consumption was derived from added salt in commercially prepared or homemade foods. Milk, meat products, bread and cereals were other important sodium sources. In conclusion, nutrition counselling in the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) trial, with its main focus on the quality of fat in child nutrition, has had minimal influence on children's sodium intake. To avoid excessive sodium intake in children, dietary counselling should include information about salt use, and food manufacturers should be encouraged to provide more low-sodium products.