Restaurant interventions for salt reduction in China: protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Yuan Li,
Xue Zhou,
Feng J He,
Graham A MacGregor,
Puhong Zhang,
Rong Luo,
Zhihua Xu,
Huijun Wang,
Monique Tan,
Wei Yan,
Wenwen Du,
Yifu Gao,
Lei Yin,
Xiaoyu Chang
Affiliations
Yuan Li
1 State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Xue Zhou
Heilongjiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China
Feng J He
7 Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Graham A MacGregor
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Puhong Zhang
3 Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Rong Luo
OMNI Research Group, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Zhihua Xu
General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Huijun Wang
National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, Beijing, China
Monique Tan
1 Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Wei Yan
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Wenwen Du
National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
Yifu Gao
Hebei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shijiazhuang, China
Lei Yin
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Suzhou Wuzhong People`s Hospital, Suzhou, People`s Republic of China
Xiaoyu Chang
Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
Introduction Salt intake in China is high, and most of it comes from that added by consumers. Nevertheless, recent years have seen a rapid increase in the frequency at which people eat out. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed for salt reduction in restaurants through a randomised controlled trial in China.Methods and analysis As a randomised controlled trial with restaurants as study subjects, we recruited 192 restaurants from 12 counties of 6 provinces in China. After the baseline survey, restaurants were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. Using social cognitive theory, comprehensive intervention activities were designed to encourage salt reduction in all restaurant foods, and at the same time, to encourage consumers to choose lower salt options when eating out. The interventions will be conducted only in restaurants of the intervention group during the first year. The follow-up assessment will be conducted at the end of the trial. The primary outcome is the change in the average salt content of the five best-selling dishes of the restaurant, as measured by laboratory tests. Secondary outcomes include differences in the monthly use of salt and salty condiments between intervention and control restaurants, and the knowledge, attitude and practice on salt among restaurant consumers.Ethics and dissemination The study was reviewed and approved by the Review Board of the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Queen Mary Research Ethics Committee. Results will be disseminated through presentations, publications and social media.Trial registration number ChiCTR1800019694; Pre-results.
