Abstract
Nigeria seeks to address the growing burden of hypertension and related diseases by reducing excessive dietary sodium through national dietary policymaking. This study aims to describe the levels and sources of dietary sodium intake among Nigerian adults to inform these policies. From June 2023 to July 2023, adults aged 18 to 69 years old were recruited from the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, and Ogun states to participate in a population-based, cross-sectional demographic health survey. Data were also collected to assess levels and dietary sources of sodium through four 24-h dietary recalls by trained study personnel. The primary analyses included the distribution of sodium intake and sources of sodium, in aggregate and by sex and state. Results were weighted to the Nigerian population. Multivariate regression models evaluated associations between baseline sociodemographic factors and sodium intake. Among 537 participants, 365 (68.0%) were female, median (IQR) age was 38 (27, 48) years, and 27.2% and 15.1% had a self-reported history of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, respectively. Most (90.7%) participants completed all 4 dietary recalls. Weighted median (IQR) daily sodium intake according to repeated 24-h dietary recalls was 3,876 (3,169, 4,783) mg per day with higher intake reported among males (3,832 [3,201, 4,658] mg/dl) compared with females (3,515 [2,859, 4,313], p < .0001). Nearly two-thirds (62.1%) of sodium came from discretionary sources, including 27.2% from salt and 32.5% from salty seasonings, 24.0% came from restaurant or street food, and 8.6% came from non-discretionary sources at home (i.e., sodium inherent in foods). Salt and salty seasonings added at the table accounted for 10.7% of sodium intake and was highest among females (21.6%) and males (16.2%) in Kano (p < .0001). On the other hand, sodium from street food was highest in males (35.7%) and females (34.2%) in Ogun. Older participants 60-69 years (adjusted beta [95% CI] = -332.8 mg (-639.0, -6.6) mg) had lower daily sodium intake compared to participants 30-44 years. Results were similar when excluding individuals with cardiovascular disease or hypertension. Adults in the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, and Ogun consume nearly twice the recommended level of dietary sodium. Most dietary sodium intake came from home cooked foods, nearly two-thirds of which were consumed from discretionary sources, which has important policy implications for dietary sodium policy implementation.