A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH STATUS AND SALT CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR AMONG VILLAGE HEALTH VOLUNTEER IN SIRACHA, CHONBURI

Abstract

Background: Excessive salt consumption is a major public health concern globally and a key contributor to NCDs e.g. hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. Village Health Volunteers (VHVs), who play an essential role in community health promotion, are expected to model healthy behaviours, including appropriate salt consumption.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between health status and salt consumption behaviour among VHVs in Siracha, Chonburi.

Method: A total of 752 VHVs were surveyed using structured questionnaires between March and May 2025. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic and health data, while Pearson’s correlation was applied to examine relationships among demographic factors, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and salt consumption behaviour.

Results: This study revealed that most participants were female (84.3%) and over 50 years old (66.7%). More than 60% had elevated systolic blood pressure, and 70% were either overweight or obese. In terms of salt-related behaviour, 73.5% demonstrated only fair practices, with just 2.5% showing excellent salt consumption behaviour. Significant correlations were found between salt consumption behaviour and age, education, and BMI, indicating that older, less educated, and overweight individuals were more likely to exhibit poor salt consumption habits.

Conclusions: This study reported that the majority were older, low-income females with elevated blood pressure, high BMI, and generally poor salt consumption behaviours. The findings clearly demonstrate significant associations between salt intake behaviour and key health indicators including BMI, blood pressure, age, and education level. These results suggest that VHVs with poorer salt consumption practices tend to have higher BMI and blood pressure, particularly among older and less educated individuals, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve both health behaviours and outcomes in this population.