Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37316889›Full record

ArticleThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2023

Changes in sodium levels in Australian packaged foods between 2014 and 2019: an interrupted time series analysis of the impact of the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership's media advocacy strategy.

Emalie Rosewarne, Joseph Alvin Santos, Gian Luca Di Tanna, Maria Shahid, Carley Grimes, Kristy A Bolton, Jacqui Webster, Bruce Neal, Mark Woodward, Daisy Coyle and 1 more

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Article in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Characterisation of At-Scale Community Health Interventions Aimed to Improve Healthy Eating Behaviour in Australia: A Rapid Review.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Emalie RosewarneThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. erosewarne@georgeinstitute.org.au.ORCID 0000-0001-5748-3953
Joseph Alvin SantosThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Gian Luca Di TannaThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Maria ShahidThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Carley GrimesInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Kristy A BoltonInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Jacqui WebsterThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Bruce NealThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Mark WoodwardThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Daisy CoyleThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Kathy TrieuThe George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership (VSRP) implemented a media advocacy strategy (intervention) to stimulate food manufacturers to reduce sodium levels across targeted Australian packaged foods between 2017 and 2019. This study assessed changes in sodium levels of targeted and non-targeted packaged foods during the intervention (2017 to 2019) compared to before the intervention (2014 to 2016) in Australia.

methodsAnnually collected branded-food composition data from 2014 to 2019 were used. Interrupted time series analyses was conducted to compare the trend in sodium levels in packaged foods during the intervention (2017-2019) to the trend in the pre-intervention period (2014-2016). The difference between these trends was derived to estimate the effect of the intervention.

resultsA total of 90,807 products were included in the analysis, of which 14,743 were targeted by the intervention. The difference in before and during intervention trends between targeted and non-targeted food categories was 2.59 mg/100 g (95% CI: -13.88 to 19.06). There was a difference in the pre-intervention slope (2014, 2015, 2016) and intervention slope (2017, 2018, 2019) for four of 17 targeted food categories. There was a decrease in sodium levels (mg/100 g) in one food category: frozen ready meals (-13.47; 95% CI: -25.40 to -1.53), and an increase in three categories: flat bread (20.46; 95% CI: 9.11 to 31.81), plain dry biscuits (24.53; 95% CI: 5.87 to 43.19), and bacon (44.54; 95% CI: 6.36 to 82.72). For the other 13 targeted categories, the difference in slopes crossed the line of null effect.

conclusionsThe VSRP's media advocacy strategy did not result in a meaningful reduction in sodium levels of targeted packaged food products during the intervention years compared to trends in sodium levels before the intervention. Our study suggests media advocacy activities highlighting the differences in sodium levels in packaged food products and industry meetings alone are not sufficient to lower average sodium levels in packaged foods in the absence of government leadership and measurable sodium targets.

Indexed as

Fast FoodsFoodSodium Chloride, DietaryAustraliaInterrupted Time Series AnalysisSodium Chloride, DietaryDietary interventionFood policyHypertensionNutritionPublic healthSaltSodium

Identifiers

PMID37316889
PMCPMC10268386

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.