(P24-011-24) Health Inequity and Dietary Data Gaps: Cross-Country Comparison of Sodium Intake in the United States and China, 1989–2018

Objectives: The overconsumption of sodium is a global health concern, yet debates around optimal consumption thresholds persist, and identifying populations at risk of excessive sodium intake remains a critical task. By leveraging the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States (1999-2018) and the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) (1989-2015), we aim to compare sodium intake levels and pinpoint demographic groups most susceptible to overconsumption.

Methods: We conducted a systematic evaluation of both databases, focusing on data collection methods, representativeness, dietary assessment techniques, and demographic variables, including age, sex, ethnicity, residency, education levels, and annual household income. We constructed distribution curves of calculated sodium intakes for the overall population and subgroups, ensuring comparability between the two databases. NHANES covers 50+ states representing the entire U.S. and 5-6 racial groups depending on the survey cycle; CHNS covers 13 provinces and 3 megacities and 56 racial groups. We used these distributions and recommended sodium intake thresholds established by international health authorities: the WHO, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction intake, and Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), to compare trends and percentage of the population with excessive sodium consumption to identify subpopulations with high consumptions.

Results: Based on WHO sodium intake recommendations (2g/day) compared to the national DRI standards (~2.3g/day), 75.8% vs. 65.7% of Chinese males and 69.9% vs. 58.1% of females exceeded the levels, respectively, in 2011. Similarly, in the U.S., 92.1% vs. 88.5% males and 74.3% vs. 70.3% females exceeded the WHO and DGA threshold (2.3g/day) in 2011-12. In both countries, the 30–40-year-old adults exhibited the highest rate (88%) of non-compliance.

Conclusions: This study addresses the challenge of analyzing dietary assessment data across the United States and China with a specific focus on sodium consumption. Our findings underscore the critical need for targeted dietary interventions to address sodium overconsumption and reduce disparities among vulnerable populations, also highlighting the complexities of establishing universal sodium intake recommendations.

Funding Sources: None