A study analyzing dietary-survey data from more than 8,300 Brazilians aged 60 and older found that adding salt to food at the table was reported more often by men than women, and that the factors linked to the habit differed by gender, according to findings published in Frontiers in Public Health.
Researchers examined data from 8,336 Brazilians aged 60 or older who took part in the 2017–2018 National Dietary Survey, a component of Brazil’s Household Budget Survey. Participants completed a 24-hour dietary recall and answered whether they had the habit of adding salt to food at the table.The study found that 12.7% of men reported adding salt at the table, compared with 9.4% of women.Among men, the analysis identified two statistically significant associations. Men who were not following a diet for high blood pressure were more than twice as likely to report adding salt at the table as those who were following such a diet (adjusted odds ratio 2.44). Men living alone were also more likely to report the habit than those living with others (adjusted odds ratio 1.62, equivalent to a 62% higher likelihood).Among women, the habit was associated with a wider set of characteristics. Women who were not following a diet for high blood pressure had higher odds of adding salt at the table (adjusted odds ratio 1.68). Higher odds were also seen among women who did not report consuming fruit (adjusted odds ratio 1.81) or did not report consuming vegetables (adjusted odds ratio 1.40). Women living in urban areas and women whose diets had a high contribution from ultra-processed foods also had more than twice the odds of reporting the habit, compared with their respective reference groups.>
