Designing Front-of-Package Labels to Inform Consumers and Encourage Healthier Food Choices in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study.

Front-of-package labeling (FOPL) policies are a useful strategy to inform consumers about foods high in nutrients of concern, but little is known about what type of label works best in Bangladesh, a country with increasing levels of unhealthy food intake and diet-related diseases. We conducted 10 focus groups with men and women in rural and urban Bangladesh ( = 76). Using a semi-structured discussion guide, we asked consumers for their perceptions of the healthfulness of nutrients and foods, two common FOPLs (a color-coded guideline daily allowance [GDA] label and a warning label), and different visual elements of the warning label (e.

Global overview of government-endorsed nutrition labeling policies of packaged foods: a document review.

Introduction: Nutrition labeling provides nutritional information about nutrients present in a food product. It is commonly applied to packaged foods and beverages, where the information can be presented on the back or front of the pack as the nutrient declaration, nutrition and health claims, and supplementary nutrition information. Nutrition labeling is an important policy instrument for improving the nutritional quality of foods and promoting healthy diets, as it allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.

Awareness and Availability of Low Sodium Iodized Salt: Results from Formative Research of Promoting Uptake of Low SodiUm Iodized Salt by Rural and Urban HousehoLds in India-The PLURAL Study.

Dietary sodium intake is high among adults in India. Use of low sodium iodized salt (LSIS) can help reduce sodium intake. However, contextually relevant and culturally appropriate interventions to promote LSIS uptake in India have not been developed and implemented.

Salt Intake Estimation from Urine Samples in South Asian Population: Scoping Review.

The World Health Organization recommended reducing one's salt intake below 5 g/day to prevent disability and death from cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. This review aimed to identify salt estimation at the population level in South Asian countries, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We searched electronic databases and government websites for the literature and reports published between January 2011 and October 2021 and also consulted key informants for unpublished reports.

The availability, price, and characteristics of low sodium salt based on an online salt market survey in China: Implications for scaling up its use.

Low sodium salt (LSS) is an effective way to reduce the primary source of sodium from home cooking. To investigate the availability, price and characteristics of LSS, price gap between LSS and regular salt, and the potential size of subsidy needed to equalize the price of LSS and regular salt. A market survey of salts was conducted using two major online shopping sites JD and Taobao from November to December 2022.

India's tryst with salt: Dandi march to low sodium salts.

Salt plays a critical role in India's past as well as its present, from Dandi March to its role as a vehicle for micronutrient fortification. However, excess salt intake is a risk factor for high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Indians consume double the World Health Organization recommended daily salt (<5 g).

Nutrition and food security in Nepal: a narrative review of policies.

In the past few decades, the Nepali government has endorsed several nutritional policies, strategies, and guidelines. Given the lack of a comprehensive review of such policy documents, this review aims to describe the nutrition and food security policies and understand the existing policy gaps in Nepal. Findings from this study can be used to develop policies and programs to address Nepal's current and future nutritional needs.

It is strongly recommended to not conduct, fund, or publish research studies that use spot urine samples with estimating equations to assess individuals' sodium (salt) intake in association with health outcomes: a policy statement of the World Hypertension League, International Society of Hypertension and Resolve to Save Lives.

Spot urine samples with estimating equations have been used to assess individuals' sodium (salt) intake in association with health outcomes. There is large random and systematic error in estimating sodium intake using this method and spurious health outcome associations. Substantial controversy has resulted from false claims the method is valid.

Protocol for the implementation and evaluation of a community-based behavior change intervention to reduce dietary salt intake in India.

Excess dietary salt intake is well established as a leading cause of high blood pressure and associated cardiovascular disease, yet current salt intake in India is nearly 11 g per day, more than twice World Health Organization maximum recommended intake of 5 g per day. Although dietary survey data from India indicate that the main sources of dietary salt are salt added during cooking at home, and few salt reduction efforts have focused on interventions at the household level. As a result, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of behavior change programs to reduce salt intake at the household level.

Advancing Health Research Impact through a Systemic Multi-Sectoral Approach: A Protocol for Introducing Reduced-Sodium Salts and Salty Condiments in Vietnam.

Better alignment between health research organisations with the needs (and interests) of key stakeholders in the health policy and research system is critical to improving research impact. The George Institute for Global Health's 'Healthier Societies' program focuses on harnessing the power of governments, markets, and communities to improve population level health equity outcomes and maximise research impact. This protocol outlines a systemic multi-sectoral approach to advance health research impact globally applied to a project to reduce population salt intake in Vietnam by introducing reduced-sodium salts and salty condiments.

Review of national nutrition standards with salt-related criteria for publicly funded institutions around the world.

Context: Creating healthy food environments through nutrition standards for publicly funded institutions (eg, schools, workplaces, and hospitals) provides an important opportunity to improve population diets.

Objective: This study aimed to identify countries with national nutrition standards for publicly funded institutions that included salt-related criteria and to describe and summarize these initiatives.

Data Sources: Peer-reviewed and grey literature was searched to December 2019, including MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, TRoPHI, LILACS, Web of Science, Cochrane Public Health Group Specialised Register, and Effective Public Health Practice Project Database.

Double burden of malnutrition in Nepal: A trend analysis of protein-energy malnutrition and High Body Mass Index using the data from Global Burden of Disease 2010-2019.

Background: The co-existence of undernutrition and overnutrition is a global public health threat. We aim to report the burden of both nutritional deficiency (Protein-Energy Malnutrition) and overweight (high Body Mass Index) in Nepal over a decade (2010-2019) and observe the changes through trend charts.

Methods: We did a secondary data analysis using the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)'s Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database to download age-standardized data on Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) and high Body Mass Index (BMI).

Modeling global 80-80-80 blood pressure targets and cardiovascular outcomes.

As the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present major challenges for health systems. In this study, we analyzed the effects of better population blood pressure control in the context of a proposed 80-80-80 target: 80% of individuals with hypertension are screened and aware of their diagnosis; 80% of those who are aware are prescribed treatment; and 80% of those on treatment have achieved guideline-specified blood pressure targets. We developed a population CVD model using country-level evidence on CVD rates, blood pressure levels and hypertension intervention coverage.

A Global Review of National Strategies to Reduce Sodium Concentrations in Packaged Foods.

Strategies to reduce sodium concentrations in packaged foods are effective and cost-effective approaches to reducing the burden of disease attributable to high sodium intakes. This review aimed to comprehensively describe, and explore characteristics of, national strategies to reduce sodium concentrations in packaged foods, and assess progress toward achieving national goals. A secondary aim was to understand the number, type, and variation of food category sodium targets set by countries compared with WHO global sodium benchmarks.

Delayed Finalization of Sodium Targets in the United States May Cost Over 250 000 Lives by 2031.

Background: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed 2- and 10-year voluntary sodium-reduction targets for >150 packaged- and prepared-food categories in 2016 and finalized the short-term targets in 2021.

Methods: We modeled the health benefits of implementing the newly finalized sodium targets, and the net health losses because of the 4.3-year delay in finalizing the sodium targets in different compliance scenarios in adults aged ≥30, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015 to 2016 cycle.

Effectiveness of Smartphone-Based Community Case Management on the Urgent Referral, Reconsultation, and Hospitalization of Children Aged Under 5 Years in Malawi: Cluster-Randomized, Stepped-Wedge Trial.

Background: Integrated community case management (CCM) has led to reductions in child mortality in Malawi resulting from illnesses such as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. However, adherence to CCM guidelines is often poor, potentially leading to inappropriate clinical decisions and poor outcomes. We determined the impact of an e-CCM app on the referral, reconsultation, and hospitalization rates of children presenting to village clinics in Malawi.

Core Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Use of Potassium-Enriched Low-Sodium Salt.

Excess sodium consumption and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure and thus increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In low-sodium salt, a portion of the sodium in salt (the amount varies, typically ranging from 10 to 50%) is replaced with minerals such as potassium chloride. Low-sodium salt may be an effective, scalable, and sustainable approach to reduce sodium and therefore reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease at the population level.

Priority Actions to Advance Population Sodium Reduction.

High sodium intake is estimated to cause approximately 3 million deaths per year worldwide. The estimated average sodium intake of 3.95 g/day far exceeds the recommended intake.

Facilitators and Barriers to Chronic Disease Self-Management and Mobile Health Interventions for People Living With Diabetes and Hypertension in Cambodia: Qualitative Study.

Background: In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death as cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension rapidly increase. The Cambodian nongovernmental organization, MoPoTsyo, trains local residents with diabetes to be peer educators (PEs) to deliver chronic disease self-management training and medications to 14,000 people with hypertension and/or diabetes in Cambodia. We collaborated with MoPoTsyo to develop a mobile-based messaging intervention (mobile health; mHealth) to link MoPoTsyo's database, PEs, pharmacies, clinics, and people living with diabetes and/or hypertension to improve adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines.

Sustainability of 'mHealth' interventions in sub- Saharan Africa: a stakeholder analysis of an electronic community case management project in Malawi.

Background: The global health community and funding agencies are currently engaged in ensuring that worthwhile research-based programmes are sustainable. Despite its importance, few studies have analysed the sustainability of global health interventions. In this paper, we aim to explore barriers and facilitators for the wider implementation and sustainability of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention (Supporting LIFE Community Case Management programme) in Malawi, Africa.

People Welcomed This Innovation with Two Hands: A Qualitative Report of an mHealth Intervention for Community Case Management in Malawi.

Introduction: Community Case Management (CCM) aims to improve health outcomes among children under five with malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia, but its effectiveness in Malawi is limited by inconsistent standards of delivery characteristic of paper-based interventions. This may lead to negative impacts on child health outcomes and inefficient use of health system resources. This study evaluated the acceptability and impact of the Supporting LIFE Community Case Management App (SL eCCM App) by Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) and caregivers in two districts of Northern Malawi.

Using Targeted mHealth Messages to Address Hypertension and Diabetes Self-Management in Cambodia: Protocol for a Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Hypertension and diabetes represent the first and third highest contributors to global disability. While mobile health (mHealth) messaging programs have rapidly increased in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), adaptations for specific patient health needs is a new approach to manage chronic conditions.

Objective: The primary aim of this study is to develop and test an mHealth communication intervention using electronic data capture (by tablet) and voice messaging to improve hypertension and diabetes self-management in Cambodia.

What's on your keyboard? A systematic review of the contamination of peripheral computer devices in healthcare settings.

Objective: To determine the extent and type of microbial contamination of computer peripheral devices used in healthcare settings, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce contamination of these devices and establish the risk of patient and healthcare worker infection from contaminated devices.

Design: Systematic review METHODS: We searched four online databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus for articles reporting primary data collection on contamination of computer-related equipment (including keyboards, mice, laptops and tablets) and/or studies demonstrating the effectiveness of a disinfection technique. Pooling of contamination rates was conducted where possible, and narrative synthesis was used to describe the rates of device contamination, types of bacterial and viral contamination, effectiveness of interventions and any associations between device contamination and human infections.