Articles Vol. 67 No. 7 26/07/2026

KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING SALT CONSUMPTION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG STUDENTS AT VINH MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Vo Thi Thu Hien1,2
1 Vinh University of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 Trường Đại học Y khoa Vinh
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67i7.5925
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Keywords
Students, salt, salt use.
Abstract

Objectives: To describe students’ knowledge and practices regarding salt use and to identify related factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 435 students enrolled in medical and bachelor programs at Vinh University of Medicine.

Results: Only 39,1% of students correctly knew the salt intake recommended by the World Health Organization. A total of 57,2% of students frequently/always added salt or salty seasonings during food marination or preparation, and 73,3% frequently/always added salt or salty seasonings during cooking. The most commonly practiced salt-reduction behavior was diluting dipping sauces during meals (51,2%). There were statistically significant associations between gender, religion, meal patterns, and personal food preferences with the mean knowledge and practice scores regarding salt use among students.

Conclusion: Students’ knowledge and practices regarding salt use remain inadequate. It is necessary to strengthen health communication and education activities and to integrate salt-reduction content into training curricula in order to improve students’ salt-use behaviors.

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