P-62 Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Toward Dietary Salt Intake Among Dietetics and Nutrition Students at the University of Technology, Jamaica: A Cross-sectional Survey

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 90 undergraduate students in the dietetics and nutrition program during the 2023–2024 academic year was conducted. A structured, self-administered online questionnaire was used to assess demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding dietary sodium intake. Participants were selected through simple random sampling, and data were analysed using chi-square tests, Spearman correlation, and multinomial regression to explore associations between variables.

Results: Only 30% of participants demonstrated high knowledge of dietary sodium intake, while 48.9% had low knowledge. Females showed significantly higher knowledge (39% vs. 11%; p = 0.019) and more positive attitudes (47% vs. 11%; p = 0.002) compared to males. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude ρ = 0.67, p = < 0.001. Poor practices were reported, where 59% were frequently adding salt to food during cooking. Lower knowledge scores were associated with frequent salt use: OR = 6.078, p = 0.032. Additionally, males who frequently consumed home cooked meals were less likely to have low or moderate attitude scores, OR= 0.091, p = 0.015.

Conclusion: We found significant gaps in KAP on dietary sodium among study participants with very few students having adequate knowledge and positive attitudes about dietary sodium. Knowledge was significantly associated with poor practices. KAP was significantly higher among females and the attitude score could potentially play a role in increasing males’ behaviours. Specialized education is crucial for improving professional readiness.