Changing sodium intake in children. The Minneapolis Children's Blood Pressure Study.

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Abstract
To assess the effects of modifying dietary sodium intake, 80 school children with blood pressures above the 95th percentile for age and sex but below 130/90 mm Hg at school screening were randomized to a family intervention program or a control group. Twenty children aged 6 to 9 years and their families began a program to modify the family diet toward a goal of 70 mEq sodium per person per day. Adherence was assessed by 3-day food records and urine collections in children and adults. The sodium intakes and blood pressures of the intervention and control group were compared 1 year after randomization. Sodium intake was significantly lower in the intervention group only in the active participants as compared to dropouts and controls (87 vs 130 and 133 mmoles/24 hr). There were no significant differences between the groups in height, weight, or blood pressure.