Fund for Public Health in New York

Scientific evidence points to a direct relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure, and reductions in sodium intake have a greater effect on blood pressure reduction in some ethnic minority populations.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, through the Fund for Public Health in New York, assessed the sodium intake of the population of New York City using an action-oriented research and evaluation methodology.

The Fund for Public Health in New York used the New York City Community Health Survey—an annual representative telephone survey of approximately 10,000 adults—as the recruitment vehicle to identify participants for this project. At the end of the survey, participants completed an additional six-to-ten minute interview to collect self-reported dietary information using previously validated questions about dietary patterns, blood pressure, kidney disease, and diabetes. The participants were then asked to provide a 24-hour urine sample and were sent a urine collection kit; samples were analyzed for sodium levels. The project used incentives to secure participation in both the survey and the urine collection. This project addressed a need for accurate baseline data on sodium intake to assess the effectiveness of an ongoing, population-level intervention to reduce sodium intake in New York City.