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Table 3 Nested cohort by urinary sodium to potassium (Na:K) ratio, low, medium and high groups, WHO – SAGE Ghana Wave 3 (2019)

From: Salt and potassium intake among adult Ghanaians: WHO-SAGE Ghana Wave 3

Characteristics

Low Na: K (<  2)

n = 399

Medium

Na: K (2–5)

n = 389

High Na: K (> 5)

n = 41

p value

Age yrs

60 (18)

61 (19)

58 (22)

0.44

Sex male, n (%)

n = 399

139 (34.8)

n = 389

116 (29.8)

n = 41

12 (29.3)

0.29

Ethnicity n (%)

n = 397

n = 387

n = 41

<  0.01

 Akan

229 (57.7)

246 (63.6)

17 (41.5)

 

 Ga

5 (1.3)

29 (7.5)

10 (24.4)

 

 Ewe

31 (7.8)

23 (5.9)

1 (2.4)

 

 Mole-dagbon

13 (3.3)

11 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

 

 Mole-busanga

2 (0.5)

1 (0.3)

0 (0.0)

 

 Grusi

7 (3.0)

5 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

 

 Guan

12 (3.0)

4 (1.0)

0 (0.0)

 

 Gruma

3 (0.8)

3 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

 

 Other

95 (23.9)

65 (16.8)

173 (21)

 

Urban n (%)

n = 398

183 (46.0)

n = 389

240 (61.7)

n = 41

26 (63.4)

< 0.01

Education (years)

n = 253

10 (4)

n = 267

10 (5)

n = 26

10 (6)

0.51

BMI kg/m2

n = 387

24.8 (7.0)

n = 364

25.7 (7.4)

n = 39

28.1 (8.2)

0.04

Salt intake g/d

n = 398

7.5 (7.4)ab

n = 384

8.6 (6.6)ac

n = 40

13.9 (11.9)bc

< 0.01

K intake, mmol/d

n = 399

93.4 (97.8)ab

n = 389

49.5 (38.7)b

n = 41

38.2 (38.4)a

< 0.01

Na: K

n = 399

1.4 (0.6)ab

n = 389

3.0 (1.3)ac

n = 41

5.5 (1.3)bc

<  0.01

Urinary iodine excretion, mmol/day

n = 383

129.7 (116.0)a

n = 370

153.9 (164.4)

n = 40

146.9 (193.9)a

< 0.01

Systolic BP, mmHg

n = 398

126 (26)

n = 385

126 (32.0)

n = 40

125 (34.0)

0.03

Diastolic BP, mmHg

n = 398

77 (17.0)

n = 385

75 (17.0)

n = 40

77 (18.0)

0.25

Pulse pressure, mmHg

n = 398

48 (16.6)

n = 385

51 (17.0)

n = 40

51.7 (15.0)

0.26

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), mmHg

n = 399

93.7 (18.8)

n = 387

92.5 (21.2)

n = 41

91.7 (25.3)

0.61

Hypertension Prevalence, n (%)

n = 398

170 (42.7)

n = 387

178 (46.0)

n = 40

18 (45.0)

0.65

Hypertension awareness, n (% of hypertension prevalence)

n = 170

102 (60.0)

n = 178

106 (59.6)

n = 18

11 (61.1)

0.10

AHT, current use n (% of hypertension awareness)

n = 102

65 (63.7)

n = 106

79 (74.8)

n = 11

7 (63.6)

0.22

Hypertension control, n (% of AHT)

n = 63

33 (52.5)

n = 78

40 (51.3)

n = 7

3 (42.9)

0.89

Stroke, n (%)

n = 399

11 (2.8)

n = 389

7 (1.8)

n = 41

0 (0.0)

0.45

Diabetes, n (%)

n = 399

34 (8.5)

n = 389

30 (7.7)

n = 41

2 (4.9)

0.69

Tobacco use, n (%)

n = 399

45 (11.3)

n = 389

34 (8.7)

n = 41

0 (0.0)

0.05

Alcohol use, n (%)

n = 399

160 (40.1)

n = 389

172 (44.2)

n = 41

19 (46.3)

0.44

Fruits and Veg., met recommendation n (%)

n = 399

212 (53.1)

n = 389

203 (52.2)

n = 41

24 (58.5)

0.74

Frequently add salt to food at the table, n (%)

n = 399

52 (13)

n = 389

48 (12.3)

n = 41

6 (14.6)

0.88

Frequently add salt to cooking at home, n (%)

n = 399

320 (80.0)

n = 389

311 (79.9)

n = 41

33 (80.5)

0.30

Believes that they are eating just the right amount of salt n (%)

n = 397

247 (62.2)

n = 387

231 (59.7)

n = 41

24 (58.5)

0.48

Believes a high salt diet can cause a serious health problem, n (%)

n = 389

304 (78.1)

n = 375

311 (82.9)

n = 40

30 (75.0)

0.18

Does something to control salt consumption, n (%)

n = 389

166 (42.7)

n = 375

209 (55.7)

n = 39

15 (61.5)

< 0.01

  1. Data are presented as median (IQR, interquartile range) unless otherwise stated. BMI, body; hypertension prevalence, BP ≥ 140/90 or previous diagnosis; AHT, antihypertensive medication use in the last 2 weeks; BMI, body mass index; tobacco use by self-report; alcohol use by self-report; met fruits and vegetable recommendation indicates consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day; salt behaviour responses, frequently indicates ‘always’ and ‘often’; continuous variables compared using Independent Kruskal-Wallis Test and categorical variables compared using Pearson Chi-Square Test and Fisher’s Exact Test. a, b, c; sig at p < 0.05
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