Food Pattern and Adherence to a Low-Salt Diet Among Hypertension Farmers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Public Health Center of Indonesia

Introduction: Among hypertensive farmers, it is challenging to implement a low-salt diet because the environment does not support the farmer’s food pattern. This study aims to analyze the relationship between food patterns and adherence to a low-salt diet in hypertensive farmers in the Working Area of the Panti Public Health Center, Jember Regency, Indonesia. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design with a total sample of 91 hypertension farmers using cluster sampling. The questionnaire was used to determine the characteristics of the respondents, eating patterns, and adherence to a low-salt diet in hypertensive farmers—inferential analysis using the Chi-square test. Results: This study’s results indicated that most farmers had stage 2 systolic hypertension (51.6%) and stage 2 diastolic hypertension (50.5%). There were significant differences in food patterns (p-value<0.05). Food patterns in the less category are 0%, the sufficient category is 59.3%, and the good category is 40.7%. There was no significant difference in adherence to the Jember low-salt diet (p-value>0.05). Compliance with a low-salt diet in the low category was 38.5%, the medium category was 48.4%, and the high category was 13.2%. A relationship exists between food patterns and a low-salt diet in hypertensive farmers (p<0.001; OR = 5.993). Conclusion: Hypertension farmers must maintain their food patterns so that the low-salt diet increases and blood pressure checks are carried out monthly at the integrated healthcare center for non-communicable diseases.