Digital Storytelling Improves Knowledge and Intentions to Reduce Dietary Sodium

Overview

A randomized controlled trial involving 10,427 participants demonstrated that a short animated storytelling (SAS) video significantly increased knowledge about dietary sodium sources and enhanced behavioral intentions to reduce sodium intake both immediately and at two-week follow-up. The intervention showed high engagement and data quality, supporting the use of scalable digital health education strategies.

Background

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with hypertension and excessive sodium intake as key modifiable risk factors. Despite WHO recommendations to reduce population sodium intake by 30% by 2025, global average intake remains twice the recommended level. Public awareness about sodium sources, especially the high contribution from processed foods, is low, and consumer education programs have declined globally. Innovative, accessible, and scalable health communication methods are needed to improve knowledge and promote behavior change.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• The SAS video significantly increased knowledge about dietary sodium immediately after viewing and sustained improvements at 2-week follow-up.
• Behavioral intentions to reduce sodium intake were enhanced in the SAS intervention group compared to controls.
• Over 99% of participants passed attention checks, indicating high data quality.
• Participant characteristics were balanced across arms, with higher baseline knowledge observed in females, older adults, white participants, and those with higher education and income.
• Voluntary engagement with the SAS video was high during the post-trial phase.

Clinical Implications

Short animated storytelling videos represent an effective, scalable tool to improve public knowledge and behavioral intentions regarding sodium reduction. Incorporating such digital interventions into public health strategies could enhance consumer education, particularly in populations with low health literacy. This approach may complement existing sodium reduction policies by addressing awareness gaps and motivating dietary behavior change.

Conclusion

This trial supports the use of brief, engaging digital storytelling to increase knowledge and intentions to reduce dietary sodium intake, offering a promising avenue for scalable public health education to mitigate cardiovascular risk.

References

1. WHO 2025 Sodium Reduction Target and Global Intake Data
2. Systematic Review of Global Salt Reduction Initiatives
3. Short Animated Storytelling Videos for Health Education
4. Trial Protocol for SAS Sodium Intervention