Back to Search Start Over

Persistence of iodine deficiency in a Gangetic floodprone area, West Bengal, India.

Authors :
Sen, Tapas Kumar
Biswas, Akhil Bandhu
Chakrabarty, Indranil
Das, Dilip Kumar
Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran
Manickam, Punnaih
Hutin, Yvan
Source :
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Dec2006, Vol. 15 Issue 4, p528-531. 4p.
Publication Year :
2006

Abstract

In 2000, India revoked the ban on production and sale of non-iodised salt. We conducted a study in the north 24 parganas district in the state of West Bengal to assess the prevalence of goitre, status of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level and to estimate iodine content of salts at the household level. We surveyed 363 school children aged eight to ten years selected using a multistage cluster sampling technique. We estimated goitre prevalence and urinary iodine excretion (UIE) using methods and criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. We estimated the iodine content of salt samples collected from the households of the study subjects using spot iodine testing kit. Of the 363 children, 73 (20%) had goitre. The median UIE was 160 µg/l (normal: ≥ 100 µg/l) and only 6% children had a level below 50 µg/l. Only 253 of 363 salt samples (70%) were sufficiently iodised. The combination of high goitre prevalence with normal median urinary excretion indicates that the North 24 Parganas district is in transition from iodine deficient to iodine sufficient state. However, the persistence of non-iodised salt consumption indicates that an intensification of universal salt iodisation program is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
09647058
Volume :
15
Issue :
4
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
23597571