Consumer Support for Policies to Reduce the Sodium Content in School Cafeterias

The objective of this study was to assess consumer support for policies lowering the sodium content of cafeteria foods in schools.

Data were used from 9,634 adults aged ≥18 years who responded to questions about sodium in general and in school foods in a 2010 national mail panel survey. Prevalence of consumer support was determined and logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios.

Ninety percent (95% CI: 89.1%-90.8%) of respondents support policies that lower sodium content of cafeteria foods in schools. Support for policies was =78% for all subgroups examined. The odds of support were higher for females, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic whites and respondents who reside in the Northeast compared with the South. Those reporting "neutral" or "yes" to wanting to eat a diet low in sodium were more likely to support policies compared with those answering "no." In addition, the odds of support were higher for those with incomes between $40,000 and $59,999 compared to =$60,000 and those with self-reported high blood pressure.

Results suggest most adults support policies that lower sodium content of cafeteria foods in schools. School nutrition staff can leverage this support by promoting the healthy changes to school meals to parents and community members and communicating how the school meals contribute to healthful eating behaviors. Additional strategies for change include working with school nutrition stakeholders to adopt and implement strong nutrition standards for all school foods and engaging students to help identify lower sodium recipes that they enjoy.