Abstract
The relationship between urinary sodium excretion and obesity is a critical area of research to understand the interactions among dietary sodium, weight gain, and the initiation of public health interventions to address obesity. This study aims to determine the association between urinary sodium excretion and body mass index (BMI). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 216 adults aged 18-65 years old who were recruited using convenience sampling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The overall mean urinary sodium was 274.00±127.57 mmol/L. Those with high levels of urinary sodium (T3) had significantly higher mean BMI (T3: 26.71±6.31 mmol/L; F=4.01, p=0.019). Age (F=6.24, p<0.001), occupational status (F=4.06, p=0.001), ethnicity (F=8.53, p<0.001), marital status (t=-3.61, p<0.001), and monthly household income (F=4.91, p<0.001). Hypertension (F=4.15, p<0.001) was also significantly associated with increased BMI. Multivariate linear regression model identified urinary sodium excretion concentration (Adjusted β=0.19, 95% CI=0.01, 0.03, p=0.003), ethnicity (Adjusted β=0.18, 95% CI=0.06, 1.10, p=0.030), occupational status (Adjusted β=-0.23, 95% CI=-0.97, -0.06, p=0.026), and having heart disease/stroke (Adjusted β=0.17, 95% CI=1.96, 13.43, p=0.009) were significantly associated with increased BMI. The findings highlight the need for a concerted effort and intervention towards a low-sodium or salt diet to maintain a normal BMI.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Digsha Augundhooa, Madihah Muhammad Royani, Mahla Chambari, Safiya Abdullahi Nuur, Baskaran Gunasekaran, Tanima Bhattacharya, Sree Vamsee Chintapalli, Vaidehi Ulaganathan