A Study on the Awareness of Salt Intake among Parents for Child-rearing

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of salt intake in the food of parents on the diet of their children and to explore parental factors that lead to effective food education activities.

Method: The participants included 103 infants and their parents attending a child-rearing plaza in Miyagi Prefecture. We administered a 14-item questionnaire survey on the awareness of salt intake of the parents and another 14-item survey for that of the children. After a simple tabulation, the overall numerical values were determined by factor analysis to perform a binomial logistic regression analysis.

Results: When we compared the awareness of salt intake in parents with that of the children, 12 out of 14 items showed differences in consciousness. In the results of the binominal logistic regression analysis adjusted for the age of parents and children, sex of parents, and 13 questionnaire items after a factor analysis, a significant regression formula was obtained for the salinity of seasoned rice, rice with a curry-type stew dressing, and snacks.

Conclusion: Parents' awareness of salt intake in their and their children's diet showed that there is a significant positive correlation among all the items. For most items, the consciousness about salt intake in the children was significantly higher than that directed themselves. The results of a multivariate analysis also suggested that one of the most effective food education activities is to teach parents about the salinity of seasoned rice, rice with a curry-type stew dressing, and snacks when they are given guidance on salinity for child-rearing.