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Table 2 Knowledge and attitudes related to dietary salt (n = 2398)a

From: Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to dietary salt among adults in the state of Victoria, Australia 2015

Question

Weighted %

SE

Do you think that eating too much salt could damage your health?

  Yes

89.8

0.7

 No

4.5

0.5

 Don’t know

5.7

0.5

On Australian food products, information about the amount of sodium within a food product is displayed on the food label. What is the relationship between salt and sodium?

 They are exactly the same

45.6

1.0

  Salt contains sodium

33.1

1.0

 Sodium contains salt

3.4

0.4

 Don’t know

17.9

0.8

Which of the following do you think is the main source of salt in the Australian diet?

 Salt added during cooking or at the table

17.1

0.8

  Salt from processed foods such as breads, sausages and cheese

74.8

0.9

 Salt from natural food sources

2.5

0.3

 Don’t know

5.5

0.5

In general, how much salt do you think Australians eat?

  

  Far too much

33.1

1.0

  Too much

50.1

1.0

 Just the right amount

7.9

0.6

 Too little

1.5

0.3

 Far too little

0.3

0.1

 Don’t know

7.2

0.5

Health professionals recommend that we should eat no more than a certain amount of salt each day. How much salt do you think this is?

 3 g (about 1/2 a teaspoon)

27.1

0.9

  5 g (about 1 teaspoon)

27.8

0.9

 8 g (about 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons)

10.4

0.7

 10 g (about 2 teaspoons)

5.0

0.5

 15 g (about 3 teaspoons)

1.4

0.3

 Don’t know

28.3

0.9

How do you think your daily salt intake compares to the amount of salt recommended by health professionals?

 I eat less salt than recommended

18.3

0.8

 I eat about the right amount of salt

36.4

1.0

 I eat more salt than recommended

29.0

1.0

 I don’t know

16.3

0.8

  1. aCorrect responses for knowledge questions are in bold