Protocol for the implementation and evaluation of a community-based intervention seeking to reduce dietary salt intake in Lithgow, Australia

BACKGROUND: Excess dietary salt is a leading risk for health. Multiple health, government, industry and community organisations have identified the need to reduce consumption of dietary salt. This project seeks to implement and evaluate a community-based salt reduction intervention. METHODS: The study comprises a baseline assessment followed by a targeted intervention and then an evaluation of efficacy. The study location is Lithgow, a regional town in New South Wales, Australia. The salt reduction intervention is based upon the Communication for Behavioural Impact framework which utilises an integrated communication model to enact community advocacy and impact by providing tools that enable the translation of knowledge into behavioural change. The duration of the intervention will be between 6 and 12 months. The primary evaluation will be through measurement of 24-hr urinary sodium excretion in independent population samples aged > 20 years, drawn before and after the intervention period. The study is designed to detect a difference in mean sodium excretion of 0.7 grams per day or greater with 80% power and p = 0.05. DISCUSSION: This study will provide a robust evaluation of the effectiveness of a community-based intervention seeking to reduce dietary salt intake using the Communication for Behavioural Impact framework. The results will provide important new evidence to inform the design and implementation of current and future salt reduction policies in Australia. The results will also have important international implications because, following the recent World Health Organization recommendations for the control of non-communicable diseases, many countries are now seeking to achieve a reduction in average population salt consumption. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02105727