Abstract for: A System Dynamics Model of Salt Reduction at National Level

To reduce salt intake of the population, it is important not only to raise people’s awareness of need of salt reduction but to reduce salt content in food products. This study aimed to develop a simulation model for salt reduction at national level. The model combined three sets of a pair of stocks and a flow between them. People’s awareness subsystem consisted of stocks of people who are not aware of and who are aware of need of salt reduction and a flow of becoming aware of the need. People’s salt taste subsystem consisted of stocks of people with high and low salt taste and a flow of change to low salt taste. Food products subsystem consisted of stocks of products with high and low salt and a flow of change to low salt products. To estimate average salt intake of the population, selections of high salt food by people with high salt taste and of low salt food by people with low salt taste were provided by look-up functions. For lowering average salt intake of the population, it was revealed that making people with high salt taste choose products with low salt earlier is crucial.