Current status of sodium provision and reduction management in South Korean school meals: a descriptive study

This study investigated the current status of sodium provision and reduction management in South Korean school meals.

Using a proportional stratified random sampling by school level (kindergarten and elementary, middle, and high school), location (urban, rural, and island/remote area), and region (17 metropolitan and provincial Offices of Education), 1,068 schools (about 10% of all schools) were selected from 430 kindergartens and 5,883 elementary, 2,501 middle, and 2,268 high schools using the school meal system of the National Education Information System. An online survey was conducted with nutrition teachers and dietitians at the selected schools from September to November 2021 (n = 608; response rate: 57%).

About 26.6% of schools had not established sodium provision standards. More than half of the respondents (59.9%) had never used low-sodium products; this percentage increased with school level. The reasons given included "insufficient information" (46.7%) and "high prices" (41.5%). The level of consideration for sodium management was highest at the cooking stage (3.89/5.00 points) and lowest at purchasing stage (3.20 points). Cooking-related consideration was significantly higher in kindergartens and elementary schools than in middle and high schools, while purchasing-related consideration was significantly higher in elementary than in middle schools. To reduce sodium, the most commonly reported requirement was "reduction of the excessive foodservice workload" (4.48/5.00 points), followed by "support for educational materials" (4.31 points).

Reducing sodium intake in school meals may require establishing clear sodium standards, increasing the availability of low-sodium products, easing the excessive workload, and enhancing educational support. To support these efforts, more comprehensive and consistently implemented policy approaches may be needed to reduce sodium in schools.