High dietary salt intake is associated with increased blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The migration of Somalis from East Africa to Norway may have altered their dietary habits, making them vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. Since little is known about the lifestyle and health status of this population, the purpose of our study was to estimate salt intake in Somali adults in Oslo, Norway. In this cross-sectional study, we included 161 Somali adults (76 men, 86 women) from the Sagene borough in Oslo, Norway. Sodium and potassium excretion was assessed through the collection of 24-hour urine. Creatinine-based exclusions were made to ensure completeness of urine collections. Sodium excretion corresponding to an estimated dietary salt intake of 8.66 ± 3.33 g/24 h was found in men and 7.39 ± 3.64 g/24 h in women (p = 0.013). An estimated 72% of participants consumed >5 g salt/day. The Na:K ratio was 2.5 ± 1.2 in men and 2.4 ± 1.1 in women (p = 0.665). In conclusion, estimated salt intake was, while above the WHO recommendation, within the lower range of estimated salt intakes globally and in Western Europe. Further research is required to assess the health benefits of sodium reduction in this Somali immigrant population. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Salt Somali immigrants Norway Urinary sodium and potassium excretion 24-hour urine collection

lifestyle cardiovascular risk Norway follow up human potassium middle aged urine time factor diet hypertension Time Factors Aged ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study migrant Humans Black person African Continental Ancestry Group male Emigrants and Immigrants female questionnaire prevalence Article adult migration Somalia world health organization Emigration and Immigration potassium intake natriuresis Recommended Dietary Allowances Urinalysis sodium dietary reference intake administration and dosage Sodium Chloride, Dietary glomerulus filtration rate sodium urine level nutritional status systolic blood pressure diastolic blood pressure salt intake potassium excretion mortality Potassium, Dietary sodium chloride creatinine