Vital Signs: Sodium Intake among U.S. School Aged Children Michelle Bettis, Amanda Sprague, Danielle Berroa

What is processed food? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that processed food is any product that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling. Processing foods makes them last longer, by killing organisms in the food, or slowing the growth of an organism. 77% of sodium comes from food that is bought in a store that has been processed or restaurant food 12% of sodium is naturally occurring 6% is added while eating 5% of sodium comes from home cooking

Statistics In The United States  9 in 10 US children eat more sodium than recommended  1 in 6 children (8-17) have high blood pressure  Children age 6-18 years old eat 3,300mg of sodium today that is not added to their food  2010 Dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that children eat less than 2,300mg of sodium daily

10 of common foods that contribute about 40% of children’s sodium intake are:  Pizza  Bread/Rolls  Cold Cut Meats  Savory Snacks  Sandwiches  Cheese  Chicken Nuggets  Soups  Mexican Dishes  Pasta Dishes

Meal Breakdown of Sodium Intake: Breakfast: 15% Lunch: 30% Dinner: 39% Snacks: 16% New Standards are projected to reduce intake by: School Meals will reduce sodium intake by 25%-50% by 2022, this will reduce the sodium intake of children who consume school lunches by mg per day. Federal Government: Will be applying new standards that will decrease the amount of sodium by up to 50% by 2022

Ways to Consume Less Sodium  Choose foods that say no salt added or no sodium  Choose frozen, canned, or fresh fruits and vegetables with no salt added and no sauces  If buying meals that are already prepared make sure each serving or meal is less than 600mg of sodium  Ask about low sodium items in the store  Try to stay away from processed foods

Why is this article important to all health care professionals? Within the scope of health professional practice, the health of our clients remains our objective This article shows the importance of reducing high sodium diets in children before bad eating habits are developed. By implementing lower sodium diets in school-aged children, they are less likely to suffer from cardiac disease and stroke later in life. These statistics from the article help prove this point: “A 2 mm Hg reduction, if maintained into adulthood, could translate into a large reduction in heart attacks and strokes and subsequent mortality (2,16). Given the relationship between sodium reduction and high blood pressure, sodium reduction is an important part of the strategy to help prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.” (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2014) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a school-aged child is almost 50% more likely to have an encounter with any given health professional at least once a day as compared to children high-school aged and older (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2014)

What does this article mean to me as a health care professional? Get involved! Research campaigns or initiatives to promote healthy nutrition choices in children Healthy People 2020 ( a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative offers a framework to improve the Nation’s health by year “A Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) objective is to reduce average sodium intake in the U.S. population aged ≥2 years to decrease the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), a major cause of heart disease and stroke”. (CDC, 2014) The Million Hearts Initiative ( a campaign to help prevent heart disease and stroke.

References:  American Academy of Pediatrics. (2014). Bright Futures Guidelines. Retrieved on November 21 st, 2014 from  Center for Disease Control. (2014). Vital Signs: Sodium Intake Among U.S. School- Aged Children — 2009–2010. Retrieved on November 21 st, 2014 from _w _w  United States Department Health and Human Services. (2014). Healthy People Retrieved on November 21 st, 2014 from  United States Department Health and Human Services. (2014). Million Hearts Initiative. Retrieved on November 21 st, 2014 from  Vital Signs: Sodium Intake Among U.S. School-Aged Children — 2009–2010. (2014, September 12). Retrieved November 17, 2014, from _w