Objective To elucidate information on people's consumption of seasonings with a higher sodium content than those of other food groups.Methods This study used the data of 503 persons aged≥20 years who participated in the 2014 Yamanashi Prefecture Nutrition Survey; survey responses connected with the consumption of seasonings were analyzed. Using the Japanese Standard Tables of Food Composition, the amount of salt intake per person was calculated based on the total household intake and apportioning. Dishes were classified into eight categories: rice, noodle, soup, grilled, deep-fried, simmered, marinated, and other. The proportion of participants who consumed salt-containing seasonings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner was first calculated. Then, the proportion of those who consumed salt-containing seasonings was calculated according to dish category. Finally, the proportion of those who consumed salt-containing seasonings was calculated according to dish category and age group.Results The following seasonings were identified to have been the most frequently consumed by the participants: soy sauce, salt, miso (fermented soybean paste), noodle sauces, ketchup, sauces, mayonnaise, Japanese soup stock granules, soup broth cubes, Chinese soup stock, dressings, and curry or stew blocks. The proportion of participants who consumed seasonings in daily meals was 86.3 % for soy sauce, 84.5% for salt, 73.4% for miso, and 69.6% for Japanese soup stock granules. Moreover, most of the participants consumed seasonings in marinated dishes (84.5%), followed by soup (74.2%), grilled (67.0%), and simmered (67.0%) dishes. An analysis of the proportion of people who consumed salt-containing seasonings according to dish category and age group showed that the proportion of people who consumed soups and marinated dishes increased significantly with increasing age (P<0.001), whereas the proportion of those who consumed deep-fried and grilled dishes decreased significantly (P=0.028, P<0.001). Meanwhile, an analysis of the relationship between age group and dish category according to salt intake showed that while salt intake from marinated dishes increased significantly with increasing age (P=0.008), that from deep-fried dishes decreased significantly (P<0.001).Conclusion Through analyzing the proportion of people of whom seasonings were their main source of salt intake according to age in the Yamanashi Prefecture, it was shown that the consumption of soups and marinated dishes increased significantly with increasing age; in contrast, young people often consumed grilled and deep-fried dishes.
Keywords: age groups; dish groups; prefectural nutrition survey; salt-containing seasoning; sodium intake.