Sodium and potassium intakes in a sample of students and employees in the University of Jordan aged (20-40 years) using 3-day food diaries

This study aimed to estimate sodium and potassium intakes in a selected sample of Jordan University students and employees, to determine the main sources of sodium and potassium in their diets and to compare their intakes with adequate intake (AI), as sodium intakes were found to be high by household budget surveys in Jordan.

A convenient sample of 200 subjects (100 students and 100 employees) from the University of Jordan with an age range of (20-40) years were recruited. The nutritional evaluation of sodium and potassium was done using three-day food records. Foods were analyzed for sodium and potassium using a food analysis program.

Findings of the present study indicated that the intakes of sodium (5176 ± 2,841 mg) exceeded that of AI and that the intakes of potassium (2841 ± 990 mg) were below the AI. The main food sources for sodium were table salt, Jordanian bread and fast foods and sandwiches and for potassium were falafel, Kabsa and hummus.

It is also clear that table salt, bread, fast foods were among the top food sources of sodium in Jordanian diet and any national strategy to lower sodium intake should take these into consideration together with upgrading of the educational level of the population.