Evaluation of a Sodium Reduction Awareness Toolkit for Grantees and Partners – 2010

Background: Americans age two and older consume an average of 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, more than double the recommended daily amount for most adults. High sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In April 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report focusing on strategies to reduce sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was one of four co-sponsors for this report.

Program background: CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) funds local, state, and tribal health agencies through the Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative, National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry, Sodium Reduction in Communities, and WISEWOMAN Program. To support the adoption, implementation, and use of the IOM report’s recommendations, the DHDSP developed a sodium reduction awareness toolkit. The toolkit had five parts: a point-counterpoint document, Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation and script, questions and answers document, sodium fact sheet, and sodium internet resources. In June 2010, the toolkit was distributed by e-mail to grantees and partners.

Evaluation Methods and Results: In November 2010, a web-based survey was conducted for 14 days using SurveyMonkey. The survey’s purpose was to evaluate the toolkit’s use. Survey respondents included those who received the toolkit in June 2010. Three e-mail notices were sent to 125 people: two-week advance notice, notice the survey was open, and reminder notice to complete the survey. The survey had twelve questions and took ten minutes or less to complete. Thirty-eight evaluations were completed (30.4% response rate). Respondents primarily came from state health agencies (n=26) and were either a Program Director or Program Coordinator (n=31). Twenty-four respondents (63.2%) said they or someone in their organization had used the toolkit in the last three months. The sodium fact sheet was used the most (n=18) and the list of sodium internet resources was used the least (n=8). The most reported use for the toolkit was to develop other informational materials (n=12). The majority of respondents (>67%) reported being satisfied with the toolkit, said the toolkit filled a resource gap, and found the toolkit to be a useful resource for disseminating sodium reduction information. There were two limitations. First, the survey response rate was lower than expected. This may be due to conducting the survey during three, large professional conferences or six months after the toolkit’s release. Second, respondents were not required to answer all questions. 

Conclusions: This evaluation confirms the sodium reduction awareness toolkit was used by grantees and partners.  These results will inform the types of materials, creation, distribution, and evaluation of future sodium reduction materials for grantees and partners.

Implications for research and/or practice: This evaluation provides model questions and methods to consider when evaluating future communications, toolkits, and resources, especially those related to sodium reduction. Future evaluation efforts should consider a mix of methods for conducting surveys and require respondents to answer all questions.