Development of the salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance program in Indonesia

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to examine the effects of a salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance program on the improvement and maintenance of self‐care and self‐efficacy in reducing the salt intake of older people with high blood pressure. A total of 51 participants with hypertension/prehypertension in Indonesia were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two intervention groups: salt‐reduction training or salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance. The salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance group received educational training and a maintenance meeting; the participants' knowledge, attitudes, self‐care practices, and self‐efficacy significantly improved after training and were maintained after the maintenance meeting. Participants in the salt‐reduction training group showed significant effects for the same variables; however, their food salt concentrations rebounded after the maintenance meeting. No significant improvement was found in the control group. The salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance group participants reported positive effects of salt reduction and different practices based on who prepared their meals. The salt‐reduction and efficacy‐maintenance group program was effective in improving and maintaining knowledge, attitudes, and self‐efficacy of salt‐reduction practices and could be applied with community‐dwelling older people with high blood pressure.