Advancing Health Research Impact through a Systemic Multi-Sectoral Approach: A Protocol for Introducing Reduced-Sodium Salts and Salty Condiments in Vietnam

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 10;19(19):12937. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912937.

Abstract

Better alignment between health research organisations with the needs (and interests) of key stakeholders in the health policy and research system is critical to improving research impact. The George Institute for Global Health's 'Healthier Societies' program focuses on harnessing the power of governments, markets, and communities to improve population level health equity outcomes and maximise research impact. This protocol outlines a systemic multi-sectoral approach to advance health research impact globally applied to a project to reduce population salt intake in Vietnam by introducing reduced-sodium salts and salty condiments. We defined a systemic multi-sectoral approach to be a strategy that involves engaging with government, market and communities in a deliberate and joined-up way to solve a problem in which they all have a role to play. The project objectives are to: (i) produce reduced-sodium fish sauce products and test consumer acceptability; (ii) investigate the market feasibility of introducing reduced-sodium foods (salt, bot canh and fish sauce) into the Vietnamese market; (iii) estimate the cost-effectiveness of three different government strategies to support the implementation of reduced-sodium products; and (iv) develop an advocacy roadmap to maximise potential research impact. Methods will include standard quality and safety assessments, consumer sensory testing for the locally produced reduced-sodium fish sauces, market feasibility assessment (including collating market data and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders), cost-effectiveness modelling (Markov cohort model), multi-sector stakeholder engagement, and the development of a coordinated advocacy strategy using the Kotter Plus framework. Health research organisations are increasingly seeking ways to achieve greater impact with their research. Through the application of a systemic multi-sectoral approach with governments, markets and communities, this protocol provides an example of how health research projects can achieve such impact.

Keywords: Vietnam; global health; health policy; healthy societies; nutrition; research impact; salt substitutes; sodium reduction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Condiments
  • Salts*
  • Sodium
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary*
  • Vietnam

Substances

  • Salts
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary
  • Sodium

Grants and funding

This project was supported by Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. Resolve to Save Lives is funded by grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Gates Philanthropy Partners, which is funded with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation. ER is supported by a University of New South Wales University Postgraduate Award (UPA) and George Institute Top-Up Scholarship. KT is supported by an Early Career Fellowship (APP1161597) from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship (Award ID 102140) from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. JW is supported by a National Heart Foundation Future Leaders Fellowship II (102039), a NHMRC CRE on food policy interventions to reduce salt (1117300) and NHMRC project grants (1052555 and 1111457).