Behavior and Causal factors of High-sodium dietary behavior in the Adult population. Pathum Thani Province

Abstract

The objective of this quality research is to study the behavior and causal factors of high-sodium food consumption among young adults aged 18-29 in the Pathum Thani Hospital network service area. Data was collected through subgroup discussions with two groups, each consisting of 9 individuals, comprising healthcare personnel and young adults with high-sodium food consumption behavior. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The study findings on the high-sodium food consumption behavior of young adults aged 18-29 revealed that the consumption of high-sodium foods primarily came from sodium seasoning sources such as fish sauce, salt, flavoring powder, and seasoning sauce. These behaviors were observed during food preparation, including adding additional sodium seasoning to a single dish or sodium-rich food types such as instant noodles. Other behaviors included dipping sauces or chili paste and consuming sodium-rich foods from processed and preserved food sources, such as processed meat, pickled food, dried food, and semi-prepared food. The study also identified that these behaviors were influenced by internal factors such as the perceived necessity or lack of necessity to reduce high-sodium food consumption, individual conformity within the community regarding reducing high-sodium food consumption, and the perceived difficulty of reducing high-sodium food consumption. Based on the research, it is recommended to implement programs that promote the behavior of reducing high-sodium food consumption among young adults, considering these three causal factors, in order to encourage desired behaviors and reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in the future.