Sodium Status and Its Association with Overweight and Obesity in Adults Living in Yazd, Iran

Background: Studies on the relationship of urinary sodium with overweight and obesity led to controversial results. Furthermore, no study has ever investigated the association between sodium status and obesity in Iranian adults. The present study examined the association of urinary sodium levels with overweight and obesity in adults living in Yazd, Iran. Methods: The present study recruited 240 adults randomly selected from adults, who participated in Yazd Health Study (YaHS). A 24-hour urine sample was collected from the participants. Participants' demographic information, history of chronic diseases, and smoking status were obtained. The height and weight of the participants were also assessed using standard methods. We compared the weight and body mass index (BMI) of the participants based on the urinary sodium excretion tertiles. The logistic regression model in crude and multivariable adjusted models was used to compare the odds of obesity between urinary sodium tertiles. Results: The findings showed that the mean urinary sodium was not significantly different among overweight, obese, and individuals with normal BMI (P > 0.05) using the crude and multivariable models. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the mean BMI according to urinary sodium excretion tertiles. In addition, the analyses showed that the sodium status was not significantly associated with odds of developing obesity in crude and in multivariable adjusted models. Conclusion: No significant relationship was seen between sodium status and overweight or obesity. Future prospective studies are highly recommended to confirm these results.