NCT05425030

A Community Health Worker-Led LSSS Intervention in Bangladesh

Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker-Led Low-Sodium Salt Intervention to Reduce Blood Pressure: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Bangladesh

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 618 (actual)
• Sponsor: Stanford University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The sodium found in salt is a powerful cause of high blood pressure, and most sodium ingested by humans is from their diet. High blood pressure is known to cause heart attacks and strokes, so various public health programs have attempted to find ways for people to reduce their salt intake to avoid these complications. These programs, however, have proven challenging, as asking people to alter their food preparation practices is often met with resistance. As such, we wish to test the blood pressure-lowering effects of low sodium salt substitute (LSSS), a salt substance in which a third of the compound by weight is composed of potassium (which does not increase blood pressure) rather than sodium. Additionally, the best way of supplying LSSS to people is yet unknown. We thus propose to study the effectiveness of an LSSS product by directly providing it via community health workers in 309 households in rural Bangladesh.

Detailed description

The overall objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of providing access to low-sodium salt substitute (LSSS) (a compound in which a percentage of the sodium chloride (NaCl) is replaced by potassium chloride (KCl) for blood pressure (BP) reduction in a general population of adults (aged 18 years and older) in rural Bangladesh. The intervention will be delivered in the study wing by community health workers to determine if this method is an efficacious approach for blood pressure lowering in this setting.

Conditions

• Blood Pressure
• Hypertension

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Low-Sodium Salt Substitute	Tata SuperLite low-sodium salt substitute has 30% of the weight of the product replaced with potassium chloride (KCl) which is itself a non-prescription dietary supplement. Each household randomized to the intervention arm will receive one bag (1.5kg) per month to utilize instead of their usual table/cooking salt.
BEHAVIORAL	Information/Education	Community health workers will provide basic information on high blood pressure, the health consequences of excessive salt consumption, and feedback to the participant on the likely quantity of salt s/he consumes (estimated using a questionnaire)

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-01-26
• Primary completion: 2024-05-30
• Completion: 2024-12-01
• First posted: 2022-06-21
• Last updated: 2026-02-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Bangladesh