BackgroundGastric cancer remains a significant health burden, particularly in East Asia, where high salt intake is a major risk factor. This study assesses the gastric cancer burden attributable to high salt intake in China, Japan, and South Korea.MethodsWe analyzed data from the GBD 2021 database, including age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR), age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR), and population attributable fraction (PAF) related to high salt intake. The study focused on individuals aged 25 and above, covering global, Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean populations, with trends from 1990 to 2021 and projections through 2042.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, the gastric cancer burden attributable to high salt intake significantly decreased globally and in China, Japan, and South Korea. Globally, ASMR decreased from 1.74 per 100,000 in 1990 to 0.89 per 100,000 in 2021 (EAPC = −2.26). In China, ASMR decreased from 3.85 per 100,000 in 1990 to 1.78 per 100,000 in 2021 (EAPC = −2.56), with similar declines in Japan and South Korea. Gender disparities remain, with men bearing a significantly higher gastric cancer burden, especially among the elderly.ConclusionWhile high salt intake’s contribution to gastric cancer decreased from 1990 to 2021, it remains a major factor in mortality and DALYs, particularly among elderly and male populations. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to reliance on modeled population-level data and the inability to establish causality from observational sources.

The Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) is the Korean version of the General Social Survey (GSS) , closely replicating the original GSS of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The KGSS comprises four parts: The first part includes replicating core questions that cover the core content of Korean society. The second part is the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module, which is a cross-national survey of 43 countries from all over the world. The third part is the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) module. The EASS is a joint survey of four East Asian countries (Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan) conducting a GSS-type social survey. The last part contains modules proposed by researchers. This data collection is the cumulative version of the previous 18 years of survey data from 2003 to 2021 (not including 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020). This dataset contains a total of 20,841 cases across 3,215 variables. Respondents were asked for their opinions about Korean society, economic conditions, government performance, politics and political conditions. Additional questions were asked regarding the health care system, respondents' health behaviors, human rights, attitudes toward aging and the elderly, household composition, household income, education, occupation, environmental issues, international migration and so on. Demographic information collected includes age, sex, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.

The Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) is the Korean version of the General Social Survey (GSS), closely replicating the original GSS of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The KGSS comprises four parts: The first part includes replicating core questions that cover the core content of Korean society.The second part is the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module, which is a cross-national survey of 43 countries from all over the world.The third part is the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) module. The EASS is a joint survey of four East Asian countries (Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan) conducting a GSS-type social survey.The last part contains modules proposed by researchers. This data collection is the cumulative version of the previous 15 years of survey data from 2003 to 2018 (not including 2015 and 2017). This dataset contains a total of 19,636 cases across 3,044 variables. Respondents were asked for their opinions about Korean society, economic conditions, government performance, politics and political conditions. Additional questions were asked regarding the health care system, respondents' health behaviors, human rights, attitudes toward aging and the elderly, household composition, household income, education, occupation, environmental issues, international migration and so on. Demographic information collected includes age, sex, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.