Sodium and potassium intake, and their association with hypertension among adults aged 20-64 years in Butajira, Southern Ethiopia.
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Date
2020-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Nutritional factors play an important role in regulation of blood pressure, and
development of hypertension. However, no studies have assessed the association between
dietary sodium and potassium intake and blood pressure in adults with no prior history of
hypertension in Ethiopia.
Objectives: To evaluate Sodium and potassium intake and their association with
hypertension among adults aged 20-64 years living in Butajira, Ethiopia, 2019.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 432 adults aged
20-64 years living in Butajira, Ethiopia. Blood pressure, anthropometric indices and dietary
sodium and potassium were measured. Data on sodium and potassium intake were collected
using two 24 hour recalls and usual intake was estimated using the national cancer institute
method. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare continuous variables, and Chisquare
test was
used
to compare
categorical
variables.
Multivariable
linear
regression
was
used
to
assess
the
association
of
sodium,
potassium
and sodium-to-potassium
ratio
with
blood
pressure,
and
multivariable
logistic
regression
was
used
to evaluate
their
association
with
hypertension.
Results: The estimated mean (SE) usual intakes of dietary sodium, dietary potassium and
sodium-to-potassium ratio were 3.2 ± 0.35 g/day, 2.1 ± 0.07g/day and 1.5 ± 0.14 respectively.
Usual sodium intake and sodium-to-potassium ratio were associated positively with systolic
and diastolic blood pressure. An inverse association was observed with usual potassium
intake but the association did not reach statistical significance. The adjusted odds ratio for
hypertension was 10.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 3.79 to 31.31, p<0.05) comparing the
highest and lowest quartile of usual sodium intake. After adjusting for potential confounders,
there was no association between usual potassium intake and hypertension.
Conclusion: This study found that dietary intake of sodium was higher than
recommendations by World Health Organization and other major dietary guidelines;
however, dietary potassium intake was much lower than recommendations. Dietary sodium
intake was associated with higher odds of hypertension, but potassium intake was not
associated with hypertension.
The sodium-to potassium ratio was found as stronger predictor of hypertension than usual
sodium, which implied that potassium intake might also play role in reducing the odds of
hypertension.
Description
Keywords
Blood pressure, Hypertension, Sodium, Potassium