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Background/Objectives: People of African Descent (PoAD) in the United Kingdom (UK) are at an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), partly due to dietary habits such as high salt intake. This study sought to understand the dietary salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and practises (KAP) of PoAD in the UK, to inform the development of culturally tailored interventions to reduce dietary salt intake in this population. Methods: We collected data on KAP from 21 PoAD across various regions in the UK through online semi-structured interviews and analysed them using reflexive thematic analysis (TA). Results: The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 70 years (43 ± 11). Six overarching themes were identified: (i) the multifaceted roles of salt in culinary practises, (ii) the increased awareness of health risks associated with high salt intake, (iii) the existence of knowledge gaps regarding recommended daily salt intake, (iv) the cultural influences on salt consumption levels, (v) the lack of engagement with food labels, and (vi) a limited awareness of salt reduction initiatives. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the significance of salt in the culture and culinary practises of PoAD. Despite general awareness of the health risks of excessive salt consumption, there was a notable deficiency in knowledge about the recommended salt intake levels as well as minimal engagement with nutritional labelling. These findings underline a need for culturally sensitive health interventions that integrate culinary practises, beliefs, and preferences of PoAD, aiming to effectively reduce salt intake and mitigate associated health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective public health interventions rely on understanding how individuals access, interpret, and utilise health information. Studying the health information-seeking behaviour (HISB) of a community can provide valuable insights to inform strategies that address community health needs and challenges. This study explored the online HISBs of People of African Descent (PoAD) in the United Kingdom (UK), a demographic that comprises four percent of the UK population and has a 92.8% active Internet usage rate. Data on the HISB were collected from 21 PoAD across various UK regions through online semi-structured interviews before being analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA). The participants ranged in age from 20 to 70 years and had a mean age of 42.8 (SD ± 11.4). Our analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five key themes: Internet usage and preferences, attitudes toward social media, barriers to seeking health information online, trust in online health information, and cultural influences on online HISB. Our findings indicate a proactive engagement among PoAD in seeking health information online that is underscored by a preference for professional sources over ethnic congruence. However, concerns about misinformation exist, and there are barriers to accessing health information online, including data privacy, unreliable information, and information relevance and overload. We also found that cultural factors and traditional beliefs impact the adoption of Internet-based interventions among PoAD, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive approaches. Preferences regarding the frequency and delivery of online health information varied among participants, with a majority preferring a weekly update. This study emphasises the critical need for accessible, culturally appropriate, secure, and reliable online health resources tailored to the needs and preferences of the PoAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Weight management appears to be multidimensional and complex, and registered nutritionists might work to educate, promote and provide weight-management services to communities, groups and individuals. However, nutrition education might not adequately reflect the weight-management requirements of individuals and groups. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the Association for Nutrition's undergraduate core competency framework for accredited Nutrition degrees sufficiently reflects the weight-management needs and experiences of individuals.Design: A qualitative investigation, conducted within critical realist ontology, was performed to understand the weight-management experiences of dieters and compare these with the Association for Nutrition's accreditation criteria for undergraduate Nutrition degrees.Setting: Framework analysis was used to identify and explain participants' experiences thematically and to compare these with the Association for Nutrition's core competency criteria.Subjects: Participants (n 8) with weight-loss (n 4) and weight-maintenance experiences (n 4) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to understand weight management at the agential level.Results: Participants described knowledge, exercise, planning, psychological constructs and behaviour-change techniques, determinants of eating and social support as features of weight management. The competency criteria provided clear guidance on all aspects discussed by the group, apart from psychological constructs and behaviour-change techniques and social support.Conclusions: Accredited Nutrition courses might not fully reflect the weight-management needs and experiences of individuals. Nutritionists might require greater knowledge of psychology and behaviour change to better understand and accommodate their clients' weight-management needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]