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Sodium content of menu and commissary provisions in rural jail exceeds heart-healthy dietary recommendations

Bonnie Kuss (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Nanette V. Lopez (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Shakia T. Hardy (Department of Epidemiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA)
Ary Spilkin (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Julianne Brauer (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Rachelle Phillips (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Gabrielle Delio (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
Ricky Camplain (Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA and Center for Health Equity Research, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 25 November 2021

Issue publication date: 24 November 2022

49

Abstract

Purpose

This paper determined sodium provisions from a seven-day cycle menu and commissary at a rural Southwest County jail and compared it to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) recommendations for sodium.

Design/methodology/approach

A seven-day cycle menu and commissary items were used to determine sodium content for each meal and commissary pack. Estimates for the menu and commissary packs paired with the menu (commissary scenarios) were converted to a daily average of sodium and compared to DRI and DASH recommendations.

Findings

Menu provisions provided 167% of daily DRI sodium recommendations and 256% of daily DASH sodium recommendations. The sodium content for individual commissary scenarios averaged 218% of DRI and 334% of DASH recommendations. Commissary items are notably high in sodium and if eaten can significantly exceed dietary recommendations.

Originality/value

Small changes to one meal within the cycle menu and the inclusion of fresh or frozen produce could reduce sodium content to align with DRI and DASH recommendations.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the jail staff and administration for providing data. The authors would also like to thank Ms Ashley Hale for her thoughtful contributions to the data interpretation.This study was funded by the Northern Arizona University College of Health and Human Services 2019–2020 Creativity/Seed Grant Program (PI: Camplain). Research reported in this publication was additionally supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U54MD012388. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Citation

Kuss, B., Lopez, N.V., Hardy, S.T., Spilkin, A., Brauer, J., Phillips, R., Delio, G. and Camplain, R. (2022), "Sodium content of menu and commissary provisions in rural jail exceeds heart-healthy dietary recommendations", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 384-393. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0087

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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