Preventing Chronic Disease | Reducing Sodium Intake at the Community Level: The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program - CDC

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Preventing Chronic Disease | Reducing Sodium Intake at the Community Level: The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program - CDC

 

Reducing Sodium Intake at the Community Level: The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program

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• Making the Case for Community-Level Action
• Sodium Reduction Strategies in Communities
• Evaluation of Community Efforts
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References
• Table

Kristy Mugavero, RN, MSN, MPH; Jan L. Losby, PhD; Janelle P. Gunn, RD, MPH; Jessica Lee Levings, MS, RD, LD; Rashon I. Lane, MA

Suggested citation for this article: Mugavero K, Losby JL, Gunn JP, Levings JL, Lane RI. Reducing Sodium Intake at the Community Level: The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program. Prev Chronic Dis 2012;9:120081. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd9.120081.

Approximately 90% of Americans aged 2 years or older consume too much sodium (1). The consumption of too much sodium increases blood pressure, which increases the risk for stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and renal disease (2). Population-based strategies to reduce salt intake are cost-effective, can reduce blood pressure (3), and, according to the Institute of Medicine, are needed at national, state, and community levels (2). To improve food environments and reduce sodium intake at the community level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP). This demonstration project supports communities in creating more healthful food environments and aims to expand the evidence base for effective community strategies to address sodium intake at the population level. In this article, we describe the role of communities and environments in influencing health and strategies being implemented and evaluated by SRCP communities.