Action at work can reduce salt intake

Workplace interventions can improve men's awareness of the effect of salt in their diets and even, it appears, alter behaviour.

With a Pinch of Salt, the Forum's study of men's use of salt in their diet sponsored by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and carried out with support from Royal Mail, is now available.

In the UK, 85% of men eat too much salt. There is a large body of evidence indicating that a diet containing too much salt is linked to raised blood pressure, which in turn is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Research has shown that men's knowledge and attitudes towards key health issues such as nutrition and weight often provide a key barrier to improving the health of men.

The primary aim of the project was to develop, pilot and evaluate a workplace-based health improvement intervention with the intention of learning the most effective ways of communicating the FSA's key salt messages to men on low incomes.

Stephen Sibbald, the MHF's Operations Director, said: 'Yet again, we have exploded the myth that men do not care about their health and their diet. This project showed that with a targeted approach aimed at men in the workplace, a significant difference can be made to men's health awareness and behaviours.

'There are lessons here to be learned by any employer with a sizeable male workforce about how to integrate a targeted occupational health intervention into in-house canteen services and restaurant facilities to improve men's health.'