High Sodium Intake in Australian Adolescents: Risks and Recommendations

Adolescents in Australia have poor dietary intake, leading to inadequate micro-nutrients and excessive intake of unhealthy foods and sodium. High sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study suggests reducing sodium intake in children and adolescents through parent/family education, choosing low-sodium foods, reducing cooking salt, and encouraging fruits and vegetables.

Audio transcript.
According to National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) & Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2017) the adolescents in Australia have a very poor dietary intake that risks
them to the inadequacy of micro-nutrients and excessive intake of unhealthy foods and sodium.
The meal occasions starting with breakfast, 81% of the population misses the meal, they were
found to take 47% of the free sugars that provided calcium and magnesium at 34% and 31%
respectively. The sodium content of the food was 415mg/1000kj. The average intake of sodium
among children as found to be 3255mg per day among children aged 6 to 18 year. It was higher
among the adolescents 14-18years at 3565 mg per day. This is so high as the NNPAS, (2012)
recommends children aged 2-3 year, 4-8 years, 9-13 years to take an average of 1483, 2058,
2461 mg per day respectively and adolescents at 2760mg per day.
Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular which is modifiable. It is
a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It has been noted that elevated blood
pressure has roots from the early life and that it tracks from the childhood to adulthood. In
addition to this, the hypertensive intermediate markers; organ damage, for example, carotid
artery thickening and left ventricular hypertrophy has been identified in children and adolescents.
This shows that to avoid cardiovascular complications later on in life the predisposing factors
should be dealt with early in life. Many studies have concluded that high sodium intake is the
number one cause of the elevated blood pressure in the adult life. A positive correlation has been
identified between high sodium intake and high blood pressure.
sodium intake in children and adolescent is an area of concern as it is highly compared to
that of the adults. This high intake has been associated with the high blood pressure which is one
of the leading risks for heart diseases and cerebral vascular accident later on in life as adults.

This study found out that the children and the adolescents with increased blood pressure have a
history of high sodium intake. It also suggested that the infants and children sodium intake
preference is shaped by their dietary exposure. Therefore, less exposure to sodium the less they
want. The high intake is attributed to their high intake of fast foods, for example, pizza, cheese,
chicken, and bread.
As explained above the children and adolescents are taking high amounts of sodium
which predisposes them to elevated high blood pressure and future cardiovascular diseases. It is
therefore important to reduce the sodium intake of this target group. In addition to this, the
sodium intake is shaped by the childhood intake. The following ways to be used in reducing
sodium intake. The most important is parent’s/family education which will involve; shopping in
a grocery store food with the lowest sodium levels should be picked. Secondly, when cooking
the cooking salt should be reduced or alternatives used, soak dry cereals overnight then drain the
water before cooking, encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables to replace the
unhealthy snacks.